FRISCO, Texas — Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Kyndal Payne, UTRGV's Celianiz Cabranes and Isabella Costantini have earned this week's Jersey Mike's Southland Conference Volleyball Player of the Week awards, the conference office announced Monday.
Costantini earns her second setter of the week honor of the season, while Payne and Cabranes are first-time winners this year.
Offensive Player of the Week: Kyndal Payne, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – Sr. – OH
Payne recorded a pair of double-doubles in just three sets each last week, leading the Islanders to a 2-0 week. She averaged 5.00 kills/set, leading the team in both matches with 15 each and averaged a .463 hitting percentage on the week. The senior recorded her career-high .667 hitting percentage in the Islanders' sweep over Lamar, recording 15 kills on 21 attempts with just one error.
Defensive Player of the Week: Celianiz Cabranes, UTRGV – So. – L – Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Cabranes averaged 7.14 digs/set as she anchored a solid defensive effort that held UTRGV’s opponents to under .100 hitting in three of seven sets this week. She tallied 23 digs in sweep over UIW and her UTRGV career-high 27 to help the Vaqueros rally for a 3-1 win at HCU. The sophomore from Bayamón, Puerto Rico?, also had nine assists and one ace.
Setter of the Week: Isabella Costantini, UTRGV – So. – S – Curitiba, Brazil
Earning her second setter of the week honor this season, Costantini totaled 89 assists for an average of 12.71 assists/set to help UTRGV go 2-0 on the week. She had 45 assists in the sweep over UIW and 44 assists and 13 digs in the 3-1 comeback win at HCU. The sophomore tallied six aces, five kills and 18 digs through the weekend.
2024 Southland Conference Volleyball Players of the Week
| Date |
Offensive |
Defensive |
Setter |
| Sept. 2 |
Reaghan Thompson, Northwestern State |
Jade Smith, Texas A&M-Commerce |
Grace McLaughlin, HCU |
| Sept. 9 |
Illana De Assis, UTRGV |
Keira Beverly, Southeastern |
Calissa Allison, UIW |
| Sept. 16 |
Maja Molinowska, Lamar |
Keira Beverly, Southeastern |
Isabella Costantini, UTRGV |
| Sept. 23 |
Maja Molinowska, Lamar |
Kyanna Creecy, SFA |
Alexa Gonzalez, Lamar |
| Sept. 30 |
Emerald Jacobs, HCU |
Jade Smith, Texas A&M - Commerce |
Ellie Baumert, Texas A&M - Commerce |
| Oct. 7 |
Kyndal Payne, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
Celianiz Cabranes, UTRGV |
Isabella Costantini, UTRGV |
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.