PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly volleyball honors for the week ending Sunday, Nov. 3.
Offensive Player of the Week
Jordan Thompson * R-Sr. * RS/OH * Cincinnati
Thompson turned in one of the greatest single-game offensive performances in NCAA history to cap what was already a successful week for 3-0 Cincinnati. Thompson paced The American with 88 kills and a 7.33 kills per set average, posting the second-best hitting percentage for the week at an impressive .446 on 168 total attacks while adding three service aces and 33 digs. Thompson opened the week with 23 kills and 11 digs to go along with two aces in a four-set nonconference win against Dayton. In only three sets against Temple on Friday, she fashioned a .438 hitting percentage that featured 15 kills and 11 digs in a home sweep of the Owls. With Cincinnati facing a 2-1 deficit to UConn, Thompson exploded for 29 kills over the final three sets as part of her conference-record 50 for the contest to spur a 3-2 Sunday comeback win for the Bearcats on Senior Day. Thompson became the first NCAA Division I player to register 50 kills in a match during the rally scoring era, and the first overall since Loyola Marymount’s Sarah McFarland logged 52 kills against Ohio State on Sept. 10, 1999. As of Nov. 4, Thompson is the NCAA DI leader total points, points per set, total kills and kills per set.
Defensive Player of the Week
Taylor Horsfall * Sr. * DS/L * Tulsa
Horsfall claimed weekly defensive player of the week honors for the fifth time this season after leading The American with 64 digs and a 7.11 digs per set average last week. Horsfall posted a double-double to open the weekend that featured 28 digs and 10 assists in a four-set triumph at West Division leader Houston. In a hard-luck five-set loss at Tulane on Sunday, Horsfall recorded a match-high 36 digs (her fifth 30-dig match of this season) to go along with five assists against the Green Wave. Horsfall leads The American with 5.97 digs per set over her first 25 matches this season, ranking sixth in the nation with the average.
Weekly Honor Roll
Katie Karbo * Sr. * DS/L * Houston
Led Houston with 44 digs and 6.29 digs per set in a 1-1 week; logged 25 digs and two assists in a loss to Tulsa on Friday before accounting for 19 digs in a sweep of Wichita State on Sunday
McKenna Melville * So. * OH * UCF
Paced UCF with 35 kills and added 19 digs during a 2-0 week; notched 15 kills, two aces, seven digs and three blocks in a sweep of rival USF on Friday before recording a double-double with 20 kills and 12 digs in a four-set win at SMU on Sunday
Lexie Douglas * Jr. * OH * Tulane
Guided Tulane to a 1-1 weekend with a team-high 34 kills (4.25 kills per set) to go along with 18 digs; racked up 12 kills and six digs on Friday against Wichita State before turning in 22 kills on a .327 hitting percentage and 12 digs in a five-set win over Tulsa
Brandee Markwith * R-Jr. * DS/L * East Carolina
Led East Carolina with 44 digs and 4.70 digs per set in a 3-0 week; responsible for 13 digs, two aces and four assists in a nonconference win over NC Central, chipped in 19 digs and three assists in a Friday sweep of UConn and contributed 15 digs and three assists in a three-set win over Temple on Sunday
Sabrina Bianco * So. * S * Memphis
Averaged 10.56 assists per set (95 total assists) and chipped in a team-high 36 digs and five blocks for Memphis in a 1-1 weekend; finished with 53 assists, 23 digs and three blocks in a five-set loss at SMU before logging 42 helpers and 13 digs in a four-set win over USF