IRVING, Texas – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s first weekly volleyball awards for the 2023 season for the week ending Sunday, August 27.
 
Offensive Player of the Week
Taylor Davenport, Sr., OH, Temple
Davenport helped the Owls to a 3-0 opening weekend after putting together a phenomenal effort in the wins.  The senior averaged 7.06 points and 6.33 kills per set while hitting a combined .333 on the weekend. She added four aces and four blocks to her line. She was named the Hilton Philadelphia Penn’s Landing Cherry & White Challenge MVP.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Nia McCardell, Sr., L/DS, Rice
McCardell helped the 23^rd-ranked Owls begin the season with a pair of wins, including a sweep over 22^nd-ranked USC. It was just the second sweep of a conference opponent in program history.  McCardell finished the week with 4.86 digs per set, including 16 digs in a 3-1 win over Southern Miss and 18 digs in the win over USC.  She added three aces in the pair of victories, as well.
 
Weekly Honor Roll
 
Sophie Whalen, Sr., L, Charlotte
Whalen averaged 5.08 digs per set as she helped anchor the 49ers defense in route to a 3-0 start to the season.  She collected her 1,000^th career dig and was named the MVP of the Charlotte Invitational.
 
Kaila Ru, Jr., MB, Florida Atlantic
Ru helped guide the Owls to a pair of victories to start the season, as the junior middle averaged 3.89 points and 3.44 points per set, while hitting .580 in three matches.
 
Emilia Weske, Gr., RS, Rice
Weske led the Rice offense with 4.71 points and 4.00 kills per set in a pair of wins. She finished with 11 kills and 13 digs in the sweep of No. 22 USC.
 
Makenna Wiepert, Fr., S, UTSA
Wiepert stepped into her first collegiate weekend and averaged 11.0 assists per set as the Roadrunners went 3-0. She leads The American with 12 aces through the first weekend of play.
 
Kayley Cassaday, 5th, OH, Tulsa
Cassaday put on an offensive display for the Golden Hurricanes, averaging 5.29 points and 4.86 assists while hitting .296 across two matches. She finished with 17 kills and 15 digs in the 3-1 win over Michigan State.