DENVER – Seattle U sophomore middle blocker Martina Samadan has been named Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 14-20. This is her first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Split, Croatia, native led the Redhawks to 3-0 record last week to move into a tie for first place in the WAC standings, averaging WAC-bests of 5.68 points and 4.27 kills on .545 hitting to go along with 1.36 blocks, 0.82 digs and 0.64 service aces per set. Last Monday, Samadan posted a match-high-tying 19 kills and a team-high six blocks in Seattle U’s victory over Grand Canyon. Against Chicago State last Thursday, she once again paced the Redhawk offense, finishing with 16 kills on 25 attempts with just one error for a .600 hitting percentage to go along with four service aces. Two nights later against Kansas City, Samadan finished with 12 kills, seven blocks and two service aces. In the third set, she went 6-for-8 in attacks without an error to lead Seattle U to its fifth straight home victory. In WAC matches, Samadan leads the conference with a .578 hitting percentage.
Other nominees included: Bakersfield’s Debora Araujo averaged 4.12 kills, 4.75 points, 1.50 digs and 0.50 blocks per set as the Roadrunners went 2-0 on the week ... Paula Sioto of Chicago State averaged 4.00 kills on .257 hitting last week ... Grand Canyon’s Megan Davis averaged 4.00 kills, 3.50 digs and 0.80 blocks per set in the Antelopes’ one match last week ... Ashley Christman of Idaho averaged 3.33 kills, 1.33 digs and 1.33 blocks per set as the Vandals went 2-0 on the week ... Kansas City’s Taryn Miller averaged 5.83 digs per set last week ... Lauren Loerch of New Mexico State averaged 3.12 kills and 2.62 digs per set and posted a pair of double-doubles ... Texas-Pan American’s Krysta Freitas averaged 3.00 kills, 1.83 digs and 0.67 service aces per set last week ... Katie Fritzler of Utah Valley averaged 2.44 kills on .370 hitting and 0.89 blocks per set as the Wolverines went 2-1 on the week.