JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The United Athletic Conference (UAC) has announced its weekly award winners for Women’s Soccer and Volleyball for Monday, September 28.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Player of the Week: Peyton Smith, EKU
Smith powered EKU to a 2-0 start in conference play, leading the UAC last week with three goals and seven points across a pair of wins over Austin Peay and West Georgia. Smith scored twice in the 3-0 win over Austin Peay, becoming one of just two UAC players to record a brace last week. Smith had a hand in four of the Colonels’ five goals as EKU opened conference play unbeaten.
Defensive Player of the Week: Adelyn Speight, North Alabama
Speight anchored a North Alabama defense that helped the Lions open conference play with two road victories. The senior captain played all 180 minutes during the week, helping UNA shut out West Georgia, 1-0, before limiting Austin Peay to one goal in a 2-1 victory. Across the two matches, the Lion defense allowed just five shots on target.
Goalkeeper of the Week: Jordan LeVasseur, EKU
LeVasseur made nine saves in a 2-0 week for EKU as the Colonels outscored Austin Peay and West Georgia by a combined 5-1. LeVasseur posted a five-save shutout in EKU’s win over Austin Peay, then made four saves in a 2-1 victory over West Georgia. The only goal she conceded all week came on a penalty kick, becoming one of just two UAC goalkeepers to allow only one goal during the week.
VOLLEYBALL
Player of the Week: Emilee Hill, EKU
Hill led EKU to a 2-0 start to league play as she averaged 3.71 kills, 6.14 assists, 2.86 digs, 0.71 blocks and 0.29 aces per set while hitting .440 for the week. Hill collected her NCAA-leading 5th triple-double of the season at Central Arkansas after posting 17 kills, 26 assists, 12 digs to go with four blocks and a .536 hitting percentage. Hill currently leads the UAC in points per set (4.36) in conference competition.
Setter Pair of the Week: Cooper Abney & Emilee Hill, EKU
The Colonel setter pair of Abney and Hill combined to average 12.71 assists per set and was a key component behind a .304 team attack percentage across EKU's pair of victories.
Defensive Player of the Week: Brennan Ramirez, Abilene Christian
Ramirez led the UAC across the first week of conference play in digs (55) and digs per set (6.88). Ramirez matched ACU's Division I record for digs in a three-set match with 27 at West Georgia, tied for the third most in a three set match in the NCAA this year.
Freshman of the Week: Kennady Martindale, Central Arkansas
Martindale came off the bench to lead Central Arkansas to its first win of the campaign in a 3-2 victory over Austin Peay. Martindale led the match with a career-high 16 kills while hitting .438. The redshirt-freshman also earned a career-high six blocks in the match, with six digs and 19 total points in the five-set win.
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About the United Athletic Conference
The newly rebranded United Athletic Conference (UAC) is a competitive NCAA Division I conference sponsoring sixteen (16) sports and championships with nine (9) full member institutions including Abilene Christian University (Abilene, Texas), the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Little Rock, Ark.), Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, Tenn.), the University of Central Arkansas (Conway, Ark.), Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, Ky.), the University of North Alabama (Florence, Ala.), Tarleton State University (Stephenville, Texas), the University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, Texas), and the University of West Georgia (Carrollton, Ga.) with the University of West Florida (Pensacola, Fla.) as an affiliate member in football.