CAA Volleyball Weekly Awards – Mar. 22
RICHMOND, Va. (Mar. 22, 2021) – Elon’s Leah Daniel was named Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Offensive Player of the Week, while a pair of James Madison student-athletes also collected honors. For the Dukes, Sophia Davis earned CAA Defensive Player of the Week and Miëtte Veldman received CAA Rookie of the Week for the second time this spring.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Leah Daniel, Elon
Junior | Outside Hitter | Zionsville, Ind. / Zionsville Community HS
Daniel led the Phoenix attack as Elon extended their winning streak to four games besting UNC Greensboro and Davidson this past week. Daniel averaged 5.25 kills per set while hitting a combined .333 throughout the two matches and also contributed 2.75 digs per set. In a 3-0 sweep of UNC Greensboro, Daniel led all attackers with 12 kills and dug out eight enemy attacks. Then in a five-set victory over Davidson, the junior notched a career-high 30 kills at a .387 clip. She also recorded her second double-double of the season adding 14 digs. Daniel currently ranks third in the CAA with 4.17 kills per set this season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophia Davis, James Madison
Sophomore | Middle Blocker | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Saint Thomas Aquinas HS
Davis was a presence at the net for the Dukes’ defense that held Charleston to a .097 team hitting percentage in back-to-back James Madison victories. The sophomore averaged 2.13 blocks per set over the two matches in a matchup of the top two blocking teams in the CAA. In match one, she tied a match-high with eight total blocks and also recorded three digs. Offensively she contributed nine kills as the Dukes won a closely-contested five-set match. Then the following day, Davis recorded a season-best nine total blocks, three of which were solos, in an effort that held the Cougars to a .049 hitting percentage. She rounded out her performance with a dig, nine kills and three assists. Davis currently ranks second in the CAA averaging 1.50 blocks per set a mark that sits eighth nationally.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Miëtte Veldman, James Madison
Freshman | Outside Hitter | Daleville, Va. / Lord Botetourt HS
Veldman led the Dukes to a pair of victories over Charleston helping James Madison to stay unbeaten in conference play. She averaged 5.00 kills per set and hit a combined .292 in addition to 3.87 digs per set over the weekend series. In a five-set win during the first match, Veldman led all attackers with 23 kills and contributed 21 digs to record her third double-double of the year. She followed up the performance with a second consecutive double-double tallying 17 kills and 10 digs in a straight-set win over Charleston. Veldman leads the Dukes with 4.00 kills per set and ranks fourth in the CAA this spring.