Big South Announces Volleyball Players of the Week - Sept. 2

Big South Announces Volleyball Players of the Week - Sept. 2

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – USC Upstate middle blocker Ady O’Grady (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) has been selected the Big South Volleyball Player of the Week for matches played the opening weekend of the 2025 season, it was announced today.  In addition, teammate Kamyla Vega David (Carolina, Puerto Rico) is the Setter of the Week, Gardner-Webb’s Nalani McBride (Stafford, Va.) was voted the Libero of the Week, and Upstate outside hitter Summer Kohler (North Port, Fla.) earned Big South Freshman of the Week honors.
 
O’Grady led all Big South players in kills per set (3.40), points per set (4.25), and hitting percentage (.542) during the first weekend.  She posted three consecutive double-digit kill matches, accruing 34 kills along with hitting efficiencies no lower than .440 at the Rumble at the Roane en route to All-Tournament Team honors.  O’Grady complemented her totals with nine total blocks (0.90 per set), six digs, two service aces, and one assist.  She opened with a 12-kill, .440 hitting efficiency and 15.5-point performance in a five-set setback at Memphis, in addition to four total blocks (career-high-tying two solo blocks and three block assists).  O’Grady then tallied 10 kills in a sweep of Tennessee State, fabricating a .692 hitting efficiency plus a service ace and block assists.  She closed the weekend with another 12-kill, 15.5 point performance in a sweep of Northwestern State, along with a .571 hitting efficiency, three total blocks, four digs, one service ace, and one assist.
 
Vega David paced all Big South setters with 95 total assists, recording 30 or more in all three matches for the Spartans -- the only league player to hit the threshold in three or more matches played last week.  She was the only setter in the conference to pass out 30-plus assists in a three-set match (both sweeps) and averaged 8.64 assists per set overall for the Spartans.  Vega David supplemented her weekly assist total with 20 digs, eight kills, four service aces, and one total block.  She began her season with 34 assists and 11 digs versus Memphis, passed out 30 assists in the Spartans’ sweep of Tennessee State, where she added five digs, three kills, and one service ace, and closed the weekend with 31 assists, four digs, three kills, one total block, and one service ace vs. Northwestern State.
 
McBride recorded 80 digs and 6.15 digs per set for the Runnin’ Bulldogs.  She opened with 29 digs and three assists in a 3-2 win over Sacred Heart.  McBride followed with 25 digs and six assists vs. Queens, and concluded the weekend with 26 digs and six helpers at UNC Greensboro.
 
Kohler led all Big South freshmen with 3.64 points per set, which ranked second overall in the conference last week, in addition to freshmen-bests of 34 kills and 3.09 kills per set -- the lone Big South frosh to average 3.0 kills.  She became the first Upstate true freshman with double-digit kills in her collegiate debut since 2015, as she put down 14 kills in the season-opener at Memphis.  Kohler followed with six kills against Tennessee State, and another 14 kills in a sweep of Northwestern State.  She totaled 11 digs, five service aces, two total blocks, and two assists during her debut week.
 
Also Nominated for Player of the Week: Emily Struckmeyer (Charleston Southern), Isabel Sandstrum (Gardner-Webb), Ella Grace Holloway (High Point), Ashley Miller (Presbyterian), Taryn Roberts (Radford), Baylor Herlehy (UNC Asheville) and Paige Bennett (Winthrop).
 
Also Nominated for Setter of the Week: Cara McLean & Tristin Sutton (Charleston Southern), Allie Gray & Remy Catojo (High Point), Anisa Dorlouis (Presbyterian), Lea Gage (Radford) and Rachel McCollum (Winthrop).
 
Also Nominated for Libero of the Week: Presley Morris (Charleston Southern), Kea Whillock (High Point), Aubrie Arnold (Presbyterian), Miranda Howard (Radford), Sophia Overholt (USC Upstate) and Sophia Matthews (Winthrop).
 
Also Nominated for Freshman of the Week: Cara McLean (Charleston Southern), Sarina Galyean (Gardner-Webb), Maya Bukovcan (High Point), Olivia Ryno (Radford) and Addison Torain (Winthrop).