Greg Hartlage
Director of Media Relations
Following a career-high 14 blocks in a five-set win over American as part of Western Carolina's perfect 3-0 weekend at Campbell, Catamount junior middle blocker/right-side hitter Janelle Blue was named The Southern Conference Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week as the league announced its weekly awards on Monday afternoon.
The Clover, S.C., native earned her first career weekly honor after leading the defensive attack in wins over NC Central, American, and Campbell to help claim the Campbell Invitational title. Blue anchored the defensive attack by totaling 29 blocks and 30 kills for the week, hitting .397.
Blue is the first Catamount to earn defensive player of the week honors since last season when Eden Punch garnered honors from the SoCon.
Blue opened the week with eight kills and a pair of blocks in midweek action against mountain rival UNC Asheville last Tuesday before her defensive efforts grew in Buies Creek. In the opener against NCCU, she totaled eight blocks and six kills in a three-set win over the Eagles.
She continued her stellar week on Saturday, opening the day with a career-high 14 blocks in a five-set comeback win over American, which was 9-1 at the time of Saturday's defeat. In the win. Blue also added seven kills and hit .353 in the match over the Eagles. She closed out the weekend strong once again, totaling five more rejections and a career-high tying nine kills in a four-set win over the host Camels.
During the week, Blue led the SoCon in blocks (29) and blocks per set (1.81) and finished fourth in hitting percentage (.397).
To date this season, she is atop the league in blocks with 49, and the Catamounts are 12th in the country in blocks with 97.5. The Clover, S.C., native ranks 11th nationally in rejections while sitting 37th in the nation in blocks per set with 1.36.
The Catamounts make the trek to Georgia Southern for the final nonconference action of the 2024 season with the Bash in the Boro. Tournament play opens Friday, Sept. 20, at 10 a.m. against Winthrop. The doubleheader wraps up with battling the host Georgia Southern at 6 p.m. and facing Alabama State the following morning at 10 a.m. The matchup with the Eagles will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), and live stats will be available for all three matches on CatamountSports.com.
Comentarios