INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland State senior Kara Koch has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Youngstown State junior Jenna Cavanaugh has earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for the period of Aug. 27-Sept. 2
Koch, an outside hitter from West Salem, Ohio, collected 78 kills (5.2 kills per set) and 35 digs for the Vikings last week. The Horizon League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year started the week with 31 kills in CSU’s five-set at Eastern Michigan. It marked the third 30+-kill match of Koch’s career and her second double-double of the season as she also finished with 21 digs against the Eagles. The 31 kills by Koch were the most by a HL player this season. Over the weekend, Koch was named to the Indiana Invitational All-Tournament team after recording 47 kills on a .349 hitting percentage in three contests. After two weeks of play, Koch leads the conference in kills (128) and average kills per set (5.12)
Cavanaugh, a middle blocker from Cold Spring, Ky., averaged 1.33 blocks per set at the Coppin State Invitational last weekend as the Penguins went 4-0 in Baltimore, Md. She finished with 16 blocks in 12 sets for the Penguins, including six in YSU’s sweep of Bryant. Cavanaugh helped Youngstown State’s defense hold its four opponents at the Coppin State Invitational to a .037 attack percent. The junior is averaging 1.47 blocks per set this season, tops in the Horizon League.
Other Top Performers for the Week:
Missy Hundelt, Youngstown State (Jr., RS) - Hundelt was named MVP of the Coppin State Invitational after registering 36 kills with a hitting percentage of .356. She posted a double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs against Coppin State. She had 10 kills with no errors in 13 attempts against Chicago State.
Rachel Neuberger, Milwaukee (Jr., MB) - Neuberger was a member of the All-Tournament team at the Panther Invitational after averaging 3.38 kills per set while hitting .359. She had 21 kills against Western Michigan and 10 kills while hitting .625 against East Carolina.
Lyndsay Zabkowicz, Green Bay (Jr., OH) - Zabkowicz led the Phoenix with 53 kills last week. She had a career-high 22 kills, hitting .340, in GB’s 3-2 win over Stephen F. Austin.
Ellen Vanden Berg, Valparaiso (Jr., MH) - Vanden Berg tied for the team-high in kills (24) and led the team in hitting percentage (.320) at the Active Ankle Challenge in St. Louis, Mo.
Brittany Groth, Green Bay (Sr., L) - Groth was named to the UND Classic All-Tournament team after helping the Phoenix to a 2-1 record with 61 digs. She finished the week with 71 digs and leads the HL in digs (143) and digs per set (5.96) after two weeks of play.
Amanda Medvetz, Cleveland State (Sr., L) - Medvetz recorded a career-high 28 digs in the Vikings five-set win at Eastern Michigan. She finished the week with 63 digs, leading the team in digs in three of their four contests.
Anna Bartz, Milwaukee (Sr., L) - Bartz averaged 4.44 digs per set last weekend, setting a collegiate-best with 24 digs against Western Michigan.
Stephanie Kinane, Loyola(Fr., L) - Kinane averaged 5.73 digs per set (63 total digs) at the Jessica Barkman Classic in Terre Haute, Ind. She had 23 digs against Western Illinois and a season-best 26 against SIU-Edwardsville.
Sarah Dooms, Valparaiso (Jr., OH) - Dooms had 49 digs last weekend, leading the Crusaders in digs in two of their three matches at the Active Ankle Challenge. She recorded 24 digs against Saint Louis and 19 digs against South Alabama.
