DALLAS – Liberty’s Kamryn Bacus and Madison Blane who led the Flames to another perfect weekend took home Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week while MTSU’s Taylor Eisert was selected as Setter of the Week and FIU’s Gianna Tagoa’i earned her second straight Freshman of the Week honor. The 2023 Volleyball Player of the Week awards are presented by Blenders Eyewear.
 
CUSA Offensive Player of the Week – Kamryn Bacus, Liberty, Sr., Edmond, Okla.
Bacus was named MVP of the Black Knights Invitational helping Liberty remain unbeaten with a 3-0 weekend against a field which went 64-22 last season. In Thursday’s victory over High Point, she collected a season-best 22 kills as she scored seven kills during the fourth to help force a fifth set. Bacus picked up 13 kills in a 3-0 sweep of Army and in the finale, she sent down 21 kills at a .327 clip, collecting her second double-double of the season. The senior from Edmond, Oklahoma, leads CUSA in both kills per set (4.57) and points per set (5.40).
 
CUSA Defensive Player of the Week – Madison Blane, Liberty, Jr., Montgomery, Texas
Blane, the current CUSA blocks leader, continued to dominate at the net as she was named to the All-Tournament Team in a perfect weekend in West Point. In the three matches, she averaged 1.58 blocks per set as Liberty held opponents to a combined .198 hitting clip. On Thursday, Blane posted eight blocks during a comeback 3-2 win while two came during the fifth set. She recorded five block assists in the sweep over Army and totaled six more blocks in their finale against Yale. On the season, Blane leads CUSA in both blocks per set (1.67) and hitting percentage (.506).
 
CUSA Setter of the Week – Taylor Eisert, MTSU, Sr., Louisville, Ky.
Eisert put on a clinic in a 2-1 week for the Blue Raiders in Iowa City. The senior setter tallied 113 assists earning 12.6 assists per set while adding 13 digs in the three matches. She racked up an outrageous 15.33 assists per set in the finale versus Kent State as she tied the NCAA record for assists per set in a single match in the 25-point era. Eisert was named to the Fryfest Invitational All-Tournament Team as she now leads CUSA in assists per set (12.12).
 
CUSA Freshman of the Week – Gianna Tagoa’i, FIU, Fr., Redondo Beach, Calif.
For the second time in as many weeks, Tagoa’I was crowned Freshman of the Week after racking up 112 assists, 23 digs and four kills in four matches. The true freshman recorded back-to-back matches with 30 or more assists including a career-high 35 in a 3-0 win over Alabama State and 31 later that day against Mississippi State. Tagoa’I ranks first among all CUSA freshman and fifth in the entire league in total assists (164) and assists per set (8.20).
 
2023 CUSA Offensive Players of the Week
A28       Paige Briggs, WKU
S4          Kamryn Bacus, Liberty
 
2023 CUSA Defensive Players of the Week
A28       Darian Markham, NM State
S4          Madison Blane, Liberty
 
2023 CUSA Setters of the Week
A28       Delaney Dilfer, Liberty
S4          Taylor Eisert, MTSU
 
2023 CUSA Freshmen of the Week
A28       Gianna Tagoa’i, FIU
S4          Gianna Tagoa’i, FIU