MAC Announces Week 4 Volleyball Athletes of the Week
MAC East Offensive Player of the Week
Tia Jimerson, Ohio, Middle Hitter
Junior – Sugar Hill, Georgia/Norcross
Junior middle blocker Tia Jimerson continued her hot play during the North Texas Challenge. Jimerson was named the tournament MVP for her efforts where she hit .452 and racked up a team-high 46 kills, helping the Bobcats win the North Texas Challenge. Jimerson posted her career high in blocks with 10 (one solo, nine assisted) in Ohio’s five set win over Kansas State and also had a double-double after her season-high 19 kills. In the first match of the weekend, Jimerson posted 13 kills in just three sets and hit .400. Jimerson wrapped up the weekend with 14 hammers and two blocks while hitting .522. Jimerson averaged 4.18 kills per set and 1.36 blocks per set in the three matches.
MAC West Offensive Player of the Week
Allison Hamaker, Ball State, Opposite
Freshman - Lombard, Illinois/Glenbard East
Freshman opposite Allison Hamaker was named to the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge All-Tournament Team after leading the Ball State offense with a 3.82 kills-per-set average during the tournament. She recorded double-digit kills in all three matches, including tying her career high with 16 versus an 11-1 Wright State squad. She also hit a team-best .337 (42-11-92) over the two-day event. Her best effort came Saturday night, when she connected at a .526 (11-2-19) clip against the Bears.
MAC East Defensive Player of the Week
Julia Walz, Bowling Green, Libero
Sophomore – Brooklyn, Ohio/Brooklyn
Sophomore Julia Walz led the Falcons in digs over both matches this past weekend, beating Xavier 3-1, but falling to 2018 NCAA Tournament participant, Cincinnati, 3-0. With the 31 digs against Xavier, Walz matched her career and season-high, being the third time this season she has logged 31. With three more service aces as well, Walz now leads BGSU in the category with 13 on the year.
MAC West Defensive Player of the Week
Megan Kern, Central Michigan, Libero
Senior – Lagrange, Illinois/Lyons Township
Senior libero Megan Kern continued to anchor the back line this past weekend as the Chippewas went undefeated an claimed the Red & White Invitational title at Youngstown State. The Lagrange, Ill., native racked up a team-best 78 digs (7.09/set) for the weekend to go along with 11 assists and three service aces. In Friday’s five-set victory over Eastern Illinois, Kern tallied a career-high 37 digs. She followed it up with 24 and 17 digs respectively in CMU’s straight set wins over Robert Morris and YSU. Kern’s performance also earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
MAC East Setter of the Week
Vera Giacomazzi, Ohio, Setter
Junior – San Vendemiano, Italy/Liceo Scientific G. Marconi
Junior setter Vera Giacomazzi rewrote the Ohio record book while being named North Texas Challenge All-Tournament last weekend. In the second match of the challenge against Kansas State, Giacomazzi put up a 25-point rally scoring era record 74 assists in Ohio’s five set win. Giacomazzi’s 74 assist performance is the third highest in Ohio history, including side-out scoring. Giacomazzi’s 74 assists is also the highest output nationally this season. Giacomazzi had a complete match against KSU, putting up seven digs, seven blocks and three aces. Giacomazzi closed the tournament with a double-double after posting 19 digs and 36 helpers. During the entire tournament, Giacomazzi put up 150 total assists and averaged more than 13.6 helpers per match while guiding the Ohio offense to a .264 attacking percentage.
MAC West Setter of the Week
Kendall Braate, Central Michigan, Setter (Sophomore – Byron Center, Michigan/Byron Center)
Grace Butler, Central Michigan, Setter (Junior – Hawthorn Woods, Illinois/Carmel Catholic)
Running with two setters in formation, junior Grace Butler and sophomore Kendall Braate helped lead the Chippewas to an undefeated weekend and Tournament Championship at Youngstown States’ Red & White Invitational. Braate posted a team-best 70 (6.36/set) assists over the three-game stretch followed by Butler who totaled 53 (5.30/set) for the weekend. Braate, a Byron Center, Mich., native played all 11 sets for the Chippewas compiling 10 kills and 20 digs. She finished with a team-best 26 and 29 assists respectively in CMU’s victories over Eastern Illinois and Robert Morris. Butler, a Hawthorn Woods, Ill., contributed 14 digs on the weekend and led the team with 20 assists in Saturday’s straight set win over the Penguins.
Other Nominees
Jacqueline Askin, Bowling Green, Outside Hitter
Junior – Louisville, Kentucky/Assumption
Junior Jacqueline Askin led the Falcons in kills over the weekend, being atop the list against Cincinnati on Saturday with 11 while being second with 14 against Xavier, just two shy of the team lead. Askin also contributed one of six BGSU service aces in the match with Xavier. On the year, Askin has 131 kills, third on the team, along with nine service aces, which is also third on the team.
Kate Avila, Ball State, Libero
Senior – Yorktown, Indiana/Yorktown
Senior libero Kate Avila was named to the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge All-Tournament Team after leading the Ball State defense with a 4.18 digs-per-set average. Her best effort came Saturday morning, when she corralled 31 digs versus an 11-1 Wright State team. It was the second time this season Avila has registered 30-or-more digs in a match.
Grace Balensiefer, NIU, Setter
Sophomore – Lafayette, Indiana/McCutcheon
Averaged 8.67 assists per set for the week… Had her eighth match with at least 30 assists this season at Milwaukee with 33.
Paige Beck, Buffalo, Libero
Sophomore – Toledo, Ohio/Northview
Sophomore Paige Beck was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Blue and White Classic as she set a new career high for digs in a match. Twice during the weekend, Beck recorded 20 or more digs, including a career-best 25 digs in a five-set match against Cornell. Beck added 20 digs in the five-set win over Canisius. The Toledo, OH native also added 12 digs in the win over St. Francis (PA). Defensively, she had just two reception errors on 81 total attempts this past weekend as she played nearly half the serves against Canisius. Beck also finished with four service aces.
Zoe Birnbrich, Toledo, Middle Blocker
Senior – Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman
Zoe Birnbrich was named to the All-Tournament team at the Beale Street Challenge after averaging 3.09 kills/set and hitting .397 for the week. She achieved a double-double in the first match of the weekend, tallying 14 kills and 10 digs while hitting .303. In Toledo’s second match of the weekend against previously undefeated Memphis, Birnbrich had 12 kills and hit .391. She wrapped up the weekend with eight kills and a .667 hitting percentage in the Rockets’ sweep of North Alabama.
Rachel Bontrager, Western Michigan, Outside Hitter
Junior – Valparaiso, Indiana/Valparaiso
Junior Rachel Bontrager ranked in the top five among all hitters at the Delta Hotel by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center Tournament with 40 kills, averaging 3.64 per set. In WMU’s five set victory over IUPUI, Bontrager led the match with 16 kills to go along with 15 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. During the match, Bontrager also became the 24thmember of WMU’s 1,000-kill club. Bontrager has now earned double digit kills in 11 of the Broncos’ 12 matches this season and leads the team overall with a staggering 178 kills.
Cassie Haut, Eastern Michigan, Middle Blocker
R-Senior – Monroe, Michigan/ St. Mary Catholic Central
Redshirt senior Cassie Haut was a dominating force for Eastern Michigan in the last week of non-conference play, finishing with 50 total kills and a 3.57 kills per set mark in the Eagles’ four matches. Haut kicked off the week with a 14-kill, two-block performance in Eastern’s first win over Purdue Fort Wayne since 2015 and bookended the week with an eye-popping 14-kill, six-block performance against No. 21 Purdue. EMU taking the first set at Purdue was just the second set the Boilermakers had lost at home this season. Haut finished the week with a .299 attack percentage, 12 total blocks, and 11 digs, while upping her season kills-per-set mark to 3.07.
Abigail Huser, Miami, Libero
Junior – Westfield, Indiana/Westfield
Huser was Miami’s top defensive player at the challenging Buckeye Invitational this week. She finished with 45 digs in three matches, an average of 4.50 digs per set. She led the RedHawks in digs in each match. Huser started with 18 digs in a four-set match against host Ohio State on Thursday. She followed that up with 10 digs against Dayton on Friday and concluded the week with 17 digs as Miami downed Illinois State. Huser earned the libero shirt in all three matches over the week.
Miranda Karlen, NIU, Libero
Junior – Evansville, Wisconsin/Evansville
Karlen averaged 3.82 digs per set this week… She has had double-digit digs in seven of the last eight matches… Karlen has had an ace in seven of the last eight matches.
Mary Marzo, Western Michigan, Setter
Junior – La Grange, Illinois/Gonzaga
As the primary setter in the formation over the weekend, Mary Marzo was key for the Broncos with a staggering 90 assists, averaging 8.18 per set at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center Tournament. Marzy posted double digit assists in each match including tying her season-high with 34 in a five-set victory over IUPUI. Against IUPUI, Marzo recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 34 assists and 15 digs. Against Michigan State, Marzo earned her third 30-assist game of the season with 33 against the Spartans. Marzo has earned double digit assists in every match this season with six matches having over 20 assists. Marzo leads the Broncos with 270 assists on the season, averaging 5.62 per set.
Scout McLerran, Buffalo, Setter
Senior – Friendsville, Tennessee/Webb School
Senior Scout McLerran played in all three matches this past weekend, including 48 in the five-set win over Canisius on Sunday afternoon. McLerran was part of the 6-2 offense for the first two matches before playing as the primary setter in the final three sets against the Griffs. McLerran also hit .500 for the weekend with nine kills and just one error on 16 swings.
Kristina Nieves, Buffalo, Middle Blocker
Senior – Ringwood, New Jersey/Passaic County Technical Institute
Senior Kristina Nieves was named to the All-Tournament team at the Blue and White Classic as she hit .500 over the three matches, with the Bulls winning two of those. In the opener against St. Francis, Nieves hit .818 in a three-set win, the second highest hitting performance in school history for a three-set match. Nieves had nine kills and no errors on 11 swings. She hit .474 in Buffalo’s five-set win over Canisius on Saturday with 11 kills and just two errors on 19 swings. Nieves as also a force at the net for UB defensively as she had 10 blocks on the weekend, including five against Canisius.
Avarie Powell, Miami, Middle Hitter
Junior – Middletown, Indiana/New Castle
Avarie Powell had a breakout week as she earned All-Tournament honors at the Buckeye Invitational. She recorded 31 kills, an average of 2.82 per set. She made only seven errors in 45 attempts for an incredible attack percentage of .436. Against Ohio State, Powell had 13 kills and a .524 attack percentage. After getting six kills against Dayton, she put down 12 kills in helping lead the RedHawks to a four-set win over Illinois State on Friday while hitting .409. Powell also had five blocks in the three matches. She finished with 34.5 points scored, an average of 3.14 points per set.
Kathleen Reilly, Western Michigan, Defensive Specialist/Libero
Senior – Overland Park, Kansas/St, James Academy
Kathleen Reilly was named to the Delta Hotels by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center All-Tournament over the weekend after registering 55 digs in three matches. Reilly averaged 5.00 digs per set and began the tournament with a 25-dig performance in a five set victory over Butler. Reilly followed that up with a 20-dig effort against Auburn. Reilly has posted double digit digs in all 12 matches this season including seven matches with over 20 digs. The senior libero heads into MAC play needing just 20 digs to become the third player in program history with over 2,000 career digs. Overall, Reilly leads the Broncos with 244 digs.
Ashley Richardson, Akron, Middle Hitter
Senior – Doylestown, Ohio/Chippewa
Ashley Richardson once again had a solid weekend offensively for the Zips, competing in two matches and finishing the weekend with 24 kills and a .475 hitting percentage. She also added two blocks, and an ace to help lead the Zips to a 2-0 record on the weekend.
Camille Schomer, Eastern Michigan, Libero
Senior – Rochester, Michigan/Oakland Christian
Senior libero Camille Schomer put together one of her best defensive weeks this season, finishing with two 20-dig performances in Eastern’s four matches. The Rochester, Mich. Native set a personal three-set high with her 20 digs in the Eagles’ win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Schomer also narrowly missed a double-double in the Eagles’ match against Purdue Fort Wayne, finishing with a match-high 24 digs to go along with nine assists.
Amber Seaman, Ball State, Setter
Senior – Carmel, Indiana/Brebeuf
Senior setter Amber Seaman helped lead the Ball State to a 2-1 showing at the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge by handing out 9.91 assists per set over the two-day tournament. The Cardinals connected at a .207 clip over the three matches, including a .297 rate of success in the sweep of Austin Peay and a .267 mark in the sweep of Missouri State. Seaman also registered her first double-double of the season with 44 assists and 18 digs versus an 11-1 Wright State squad.
Kalina Smith, Central Michigan, Outside Hitter
Junior – Powell, Wyoming/Campbell County
Junior outside hitter Kalina Smith led the offensive attack this past weekend as the Chippewas went undefeated an claimed the Red & White Invitational title at Youngstown State. The Powell, Wyo., native posted a team-best 44 kills throughout the weekend, averaging 4.00 per set and was named Tournament MVP. On Friday’s straight-set victory over Robert Morris, Smith matched a career-high with 21 kills to go along with a season-best .350 attack percentage. She also chipped defensively with 33 digs to go along with a pair of service aces.
Danie Tyson, Kent State, Middle Blocker
Sophomore – South Holland, Illinois/Chicago Christian
Danie Tyson scored 3.06 points per set and hit at an incredible .576 clip to earn Golden-Viking Invitational All-Tournament Team recognition. Tyson posted 20 kills on only 33 swings with just a single error over Kent State’s two matches. She matched her career-high with 17 kills and had a season-best .615 hitting percentage to go with two aces and two blocks in the Golden Flashes’ five-set victory against Niagara on Saturday.
Kennedy Wallace, NIU, Middle Blocker
Junior – Kansas City, Kansas/Piper
Wallace averaged 3.00 kills per set this week and hit .292… Hit over .300 against Milwaukee and South Dakota… Had a season-high four blocks at Milwaukee.
Emily Weigand, Akron, Setter
Junior – Burton, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin School
Emily Weigand helped run an efficient offense this weekend as Akron competed in the North Dakota Classic. She averaged 11.33 assists per set, finishing with 34 assists in both matches she competed in, ultimately leading her team to a 2-0 record on the weekend. She also contributed on offense, finishing with a .197 hitting percentage.
