Cunningham, Torres Earn Volleyball Weekly Awards
FRISCO, Texas – Sam Houston State’s Taylor Cunningham and Stephen F. Austin’s Marisabel Torres are the Southland Conference Volleyball Players of the Week, the league announced Monday. All weekly awards are presented by
MidSouth Bank.
Cunningham had a match for the ages Oct. 6 in a Sam Houston (11-5, 3-1 SLC) win over Abilene Christian. The Bearkats host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday before traveling to Louisiana for a Thursday matchup at Nicholls, and then a Saturday afternoon affair at New Orleans.
Torres and SFA (19-2, 6-0 SLC) continued with their stellar defense last week during wins over Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State. The results move the Ladyjacks’ winning streak to 16 – the nation’s second-longest active streak. The victories also mean that Stephen F. Austin remains perfect in Southland Conference action this season. SFA puts those streaks on the line Thursday when they play at UIW.
Offensive Player of the Week: Taylor Cunningham, Sam Houston – Sr. – Middle Blocker – Huntsville, Texas
The senior middle blocker took a career-high 59 swings against the Wildcats, taking full advantage with 29 kills and an astonishing one error in the four-set Bearkats’ win.
She hit .475 for the match, adding a pair of blocks and finished with a double-double after totaling 16 digs. Cunningham’s 29 kills Saturday give her a new a career high and the most by any Southland Conference player this season. Cunningham continues to lead the league in kills per set with her 3.91 mark nearly a half kill per set higher than anyone else in the league, while her .340 attack percentage is the third best in the league.
Cunningham claimed offensive and defensive player of the week honors last month.
Honorable Mention: Samantha Anderson, UCA
Defensive Player of the Week: Marisabel Torres, Stephen F. Austin – Fr. – Libero – Pearland, Texas
The freshman libero received the starting nod in both of SFA’s matches this past week and proceeded to put forth a solid two-match stretch of floor defense. Against Southeastern Louisiana, Torres scooped up 17 digs before one-upping that performance and racing down a career-best 26 digs in a 3-1 come-from-behind victory at Northwestern State. That dig total represents the most in a match by a Ladyjacks’ player this season.
Honorable Mention: Paige Havel, McNeese; Emily Doss, UCA
Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.