MAC Announces Week 1 Volleyball Players of the Week | 1.25.21
East Division
Offensive Player of the Week
Katelyn Meyer, Bowling Green, Junior
Bowling Green junior Katelyn Meyer led the Falcons in kills in both of their first two matches of the season. In the season-opener, Meyer landed 20 kills in five sets before following it up with 19 kills in three sets. In the second match, Meyer also had just one error for an impressive .474 hitting percentage.
Defensive Player of the Week
Sam Steele, Ohio, Freshman
In her first collegiate weekend, Sam Steele impressed as the libero. Steele led the Mid-American Conference in digs during the opening weekend of play with 51 digs, averaging 6.38 digs per set. Ohio's sweep of Central Michigan saw Steele post 22 scoops in three sets, while she posted her career-high of 29 in the opening match of the season against CMU with 29. Steele did not commit a reception error in either match, and added one ace.
Setter of the Week
Hanna Laube, Bowling Green, Junior
Bowling Green junior setter Hanna Laube put together 95 assists for the Falcons over the weekend sweep against Northern Illinois. She first began the weekend with a career-high 51 assists over five sets before following up that performance with another 44 in Saturday's 3-0 sweep. She was also able to land two kills in the matches for the Falcons.
West Division
Offensive Player of the Week
Rachel Bontrager, Western Michigan, Senior
Senior outside hitter Rachel Bontrager led the Broncos to a perfect 2-0 weekend at Toledo, leading the Broncos with 36 kills, averaging 4.50 per set on the weekend. Bontrager also recorded a .333 attack percentage, second best on WMU. On Friday Bontrager guided WMU to a five-set victory with a double-double, earning a team-high 16 kills and 10 digs. It was the 35th kills and digs double-double for Bontrager. Against Toledo on Saturday, Bontrager followed up her performance with 20 kills and a staggering .471 attack percentage in a 3-0 sweep of the Rockets. After the first weekend of the season, Bontrager ranks second in the MAC in total kills and sixth in kills per set. She is also tied for first in the MAC with 39.5 points.
Defensive Player of the Week
Kaley Smith, Western Michigan, Senior
Western Michigan was guided to a 2-0 weekend at Toledo by senior libero/defensive specialist Kaley Smith who led the team with 49 digs, averaging 6.12 digs per set. Smith leads the MAC this season in both total digs and digs per set. Smith also ranks 8th in the MAC in service aces per set. On Friday against Toledo, Smith led the Broncos with 32 digs, three shy of her career-high. Smith also had three assists and matched her career-high with three service aces in the five-set victory. On Saturday in a 3-0 sweep of the Rockets, Smith had 17 digs to go along with a career-high five assists.
Setter of the Week
Kate Vinson, Ball State, Freshman
Freshman Kate Vinson made her collegiate setting debut a memorable one, guiding Ball State to a pair of wins over Akron opening weekend. Her effort helped the Cardinals finish the two-match series with a .253 team attack percentage. She started her career by dishing out 36 assists in Friday’s three-set sweep of the Zips and followed with 38 in Saturday’s four-set victory to average 10.57 for the week. She helped five different Ball State attackers finish the week with at least a 2.00 kills-per-set average, while three averaged at least 3.00 kills-per-set. In addition to her setting, she scored 21 total digs over the two matches for a 3.00 digs-per-set average. 14 of those digs came in Saturday’s win, giving Vinson her first career double-double. She also tallied three kills over the two wins.
