DENVER – NM State junior middle blocker Julianna Salanoa and Chicago State senior libero Megan Klavitter have been named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Volleyball Players of the Week, respectively, for the week of Nov. 4-10. This is the third honor of the season and fourth of her career for Salanoa and the second of the season and fourth of her career for Klavitter.
Salanoa, an Olympia, Wash. native, averaged 3.29 kills on .579 hitting and 0.43 service aces per set last week as the Aggies ran their win streak to 15 matches and clinched their fourth WAC regular-season title in the last five seasons. She opened the week by hitting .545 with 13 kills and two aces at CSU Bakersfield. Salanoa then hit a scorching .625 with 10 kills in a sweep at Grand Canyon. For the week, she had just one error on 38 attempts en route to hitting more than .200 better than any other player in the conference.
Klavitter, a Fenton, Mich. native, averaged a WAC-best 7.20 digs per set over two matches last week. She opened the week with 35 digs in a five-set loss to Seattle U. Klavitter then posted 37 digs in a win over Utah Valley on Saturday, the Cougars' first WAC victory of the season. It was one shy of her career high. Klavitter leads the WAC on the season with 5.25 digs per set, nearly 1.00 dig per set more than the next closest player.
Other offensive nominees included: Sydney Marks of California Baptist averaged 3.57 kills on .295 hitting last week ... Grand Canyon's Melody Horton averaged 3.50 kills on .310 hitting on the week ... Melanie Brecka of Kansas City averaged 4.33 kills on .328 hitting and 0.33 service aces per set last week ... UT Rio Grande Valley's Sarah Cruz averaged 4.4 kills and 0.40 service aces per set.
Other defensive nominees included: California Baptist's Nicole Abreu averaged 4.86 digs per set ... Teagan DeFalco of Grand Canyon averaged 4.88 digs ... Kansas City's Mykal Sadler averaged 1.17 blocks per set ... Samaret Caraballo of UT Rio Grande Valley averaged 4.40 digs per set.
