DENVER – Bakersfield junior outside hitter Kelsee Sawyer has been named Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 13-19. This is her first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Temecula, Calif., native averaged 5.12 kills and 0.50 digs per set as the Roadrunners went 2-0 last week. Sawyer opened the week with 11 kills on a .296 clip in a sweep of Seattle U. She followed it up with a career-high 30 kills on .443 hitting in a five-set win over Utah Valley on Saturday. The 30 kills are a WAC season high and are the second-most by a Bakersfield player at the Division I level, while her .443 hitting percentage is a season high. Sawyer entered the week averaging 3.27 kills on .189 hitting.
Other nominees included: Natalie Tardy of Grand Canyon averaged 4.50 kills and 2.00 digs per set in a pair of losses ... Missouri-Kansas City’s Melissa Hartsel averaged 2.17 kills on .451 hitting to go along with 1.42 blocks per set as the Kangaroos went 3-0 on the week and extended their win streak to 14 matches ... Kassandra Tohm of New Mexico State averaged 2.43 kills on .552 hitting to go along with 0.43 blocks per set as the Aggies went 1-1 on the week ... Seattle U’s Martina Samadan averaged 4.43 kills on .463 hitting and 1.14 blocks per set as the Redhawks went 1-1 on the week ... Maria Kliefoth of Texas-Pan American averaged 2.71 kills on .375 hitting and 1.57 blocks per set as the Broncs went 1-1 last week ... Utah Valley’s McKenna Tait averaged 5.23 digs and 0.85 assists per set as the Wolverines went 1-2 on the week.