CAA Volleyball Weekly Awards – Oct. 4
Hunter Peters
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 4, 2021) – The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) has announced its weekly volleyball awards following the sixth week of the 2021 season. Elon’s Haylie Clark earned CAA Offensive Player of the Week honors, while a pair of freshmen collected the additional accolades. UNCW’s Quinn Manley was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week, and Anna Smith of Charleston was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Week.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Haylie Clark, Elon
Senior | Setter | Saint Cloud, Fla. / Harmony
Clark facilitated the Phoenix attack as Elon split its weekend series with Towson. The senior setter tallied 81 assists (10.13 per set) along with eight kills (1.00 per set) on a .438 hitting percentage and four service aces against the Tigers. Clark recorded 37 assists, three service aces, three blocks and eight digs to help Elon snap Towson’s 24-game home winning streak on Saturday. In Sunday’s finale, she totaled 44 assists, eight kills and six digs despite the Phoenix falling in the match. Clark leads the CAA with 9.41 assists per set this season, and she surpassed 1,500 career assists with her performance over the weekend.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Quinn Manley, UNCW
Freshman | Libero | Lexington, S.C. / River Bluff
Manley was stout on the backline for the Seahawks, helping hold Northeastern to a .148 team hitting percentage en route to a weekend split. The freshman libero averaged 5.22 digs per set, racking up 47 total digs over the two matches. Manley tied a season-best 20 digs in a four-set victory on Saturday before tallying a career-high 27 digs in the Seahawks’ setback Friday. Manley has recorded double-digit digs in seven consecutive matches and has eclipsed double-figures in nine contests this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Anna Smith, Charleston
Freshman | Outside Hitter | Mendon, Mich. / Mendon HS
Smith averaged 4.00 kills per set and hit .317 while leading the Cougars to a weekend sweep of William & Mary. The freshman outside hitter opened the weekend with a match-high nine kills, along with four digs and two blocks in a straight-sets victory over the Tribe. In the weekend finale, Smith exploded for a match-high 19 kills in just her fourth start of the season. She also added three service aces and two blocks while hitting .375 in the contest. Smith has recorded nine or more kills in the previous four matches, including double-figures in three of the past four.
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