RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the third Volleyball Player of the Week awards for the 2022 season. East Central's Emma Strickland and Harding's Kelli McKinnon shared Offensive Player of the Week; Ouachita's Lexie Castillow claimed Defensive Player of the Week and the Lady Bisons' Sarah Morehead earned Setter of the Week.
#theGAC VOLLEYBALL CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Emma Strickland, East Central, OH, So., Mansfield, Texas
Strickland averaged 4.88 kills and 5.50 points per set in the Tigers' four matches. In ECU's GAC opener against Southwestern Oklahoma State, she amassed 24 kills and 12 digs. In a sweep of LeMoyne-Owen she tallied eight kills and four aces. Against William Jewell, she totaled 29 kills and 18 digs. She capped her week with 17 kills against UAH.
#theGAC VOLLEYBALL CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kelli McKinnon, Harding, MB, Sr., Trophy Club, Texas
McKinnon led the Lady Bisons in four wins as they improved to 11-1. She notched 10 kills and hit .389 in a sweep of Henderson State. She hit .375 in a three-set win against LeMoyne-Owen. She added nine kills with a .438 attack percentage against Lee. She finished her week with 17 kills against UAH. She averaged 4.27 points per set across the four wins.
#theGAC VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lexie Castillow, Ouachita Baptist, L, Gr., Greenwood, Arkansas
Castillow averaged a conference-leading 5.69 digs per set as the Tigers picked up three wins. In a five-set win against William Jewell, she collected 23 followed by 28 in a sweep of The University of Alabama in Huntsville. She finished with 14 digs in a sweep of Lee.
#theGAC VOLLEYBALL SETTER OF THE WEEK – Sarah Morehead, Harding, Sr., Aledo, Texas
Morehead repeated as Setter of the Week after helping the Bisons extend their win streak to nine as she averaged a GAC-leading 12.90 assists per set in four wins. She recorded a double-double, 37 assists and 12 digs, in a sweep of Henderson State. She totaled 58 assists and 11 digs in a four-set win against UAH. She closed her week with 14 as the Tigers defeated Lee in three sets.
OTHERS NOMINATED
Emily Adams, RS/MB (Ouachita Baptist), Sunny Batschelett, OH (Southern Nazarene), D'Erricka Frierson, OH (Oklahoma Baptist), Maddi Siedenburg, OH (Arkansas Tech), Zoey Sparks, MH (Southwestern Oklahoma State), Addison Wimmer, OH (Northwestern Oklahoma State)
Andrea Coady, DS (Northwestern Oklahoma State), Alejandra Delgado, L (East Central), Maci Langford, DS (Oklahoma Baptist), Megan Solberg, DS/L (Arkansas Tech), Emma Winiger, DS (Harding)
Kaley Brubaker, S (Southern Nazarene), Courtney Hanson, S (Ouachita Baptist), Cameron Lobb, S (Northwestern Oklahoma State), Rylee Martin, S (Oklahoma Baptist), Brianna Merkel, S (Arkansas Tech)
