DALLAS – UTEP’s
Danika Washington, Kennesaw State’s
Olivia Burrage, along with WKU’s
Callie Bauer and
Kaira Knox earned Conference USA Volleyball Player of the Week honors.
CUSA Offensive Player of the Week – Danika Washington, UTEP – Gr. – MB – Fort Worth, Texas
Washington delivered a flawless offensive performance to help the Miners (21-3, 11-1 CUSA) sweep Missouri State in back-to-back four-set victories. The graduate middle blocker was unstoppable at the net, totaling 21 kills on 32 error-free swings for an incredible .656 hitting percentage on the weekend. She opened the series with seven kills (.636) on Friday before following up with 14 kills (.667) in the finale. Washington also anchored UTEP’s defense with a team-high 10 blocks and finished the weekend with 26 total points. She averaged 2.63 kills, 1.25 blocks and 3.25 points per set, leading the Miners in efficiency and consistency on both sides of the net.
CUSA Defensive Player of the Week – Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State – Jr. – MB – Jefferson, Ga.
Burrage posted a huge series defensively against Sam Houston while also averaging 3.63 kills per set and hitting .424 to lead the Owls (16-6, 10-2 CUSA) to their sixth and seventh straight wins of the season. Against the Bearkats on Friday, she tied her career-high with 10 blocks and added 16 kills for her first career double-double, while hitting .351. In the Owls 3-0 sweep on Saturday, she still reached double-figures in kills with 13 while hitting .545 and recorded six blocks. For the week, she totaled 29 total kills and averaged 2.0 blocks per set.
CUSA Setter of the Week – Callie Bauer, WKU – R-Sr. – Hudson, Mich.
Bauer continues to be a force for the Hilltoppers (20-5, 11-1 CUSA), leading WKU to the third-best hitting percentage in the country (.306). She finished the six-set weekend with 68 assists and an average of 11.33 assists per set. The junior setter also collected three kills, a team-high five service aces, 10 digs and three blocks to put together a complete package performance. Bauer is ranked second in CUSA in assists per set with 9.86 and is fourth in total assists with 769.
CUSA Freshman of the Week – Kaira Knox, WKU – RS – Nolensville, Tenn.
Knox continues her breakout season with the Hilltoppers, posting 23 kills with an average of 3.83 kills per set on a .451 hitting clip for the weekend. She was responsible for almost 30% of WKU's kills and is currently eighth in CUSA in kills per set with 3.21. The Nolensville, Tenn., native is third on the team in total kills and is 10th in CUSA with 183. A six-rotation player for the Tops, Knox registered seven digs and collected three blocks. Her best performance was a 15-kill three-set match against the Blue Raiders on Friday where she also posted her highest hitting percentage of the season, .737.
2025 CUSA Offensive Players of the Week
S1 Paige Overcash, Liberty
S8 Paige Overcash, Liberty
S15 Paige Overcash, Liberty
S22 Carly O’Brien, Liberty
S29 Jenna Otts, Liberty
O6 Manu Johnsen, Kennesaw State
O13 Kira Givans, FIU
O20 Alivia Skidmore, WKU
O27 Maggie Lightheart, NM State
N3 Danika Washington, UTEP
2025 CUSA Defensive Players of the Week
S1 Mandi Morioka, FIU
S8 Luci Wilkinson, Jax State
S15 Faith Young, WKU
S22 Izzy Van De Wiele, WKU
S29 Mandi Morioka, FIU
Kaya Weaver, UTEP
O6 Luci Wilkinson, Jax State
O13 Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State
O20 Tayler Baron, WKU
O27 Magda Strambrowska, FIU
N3 Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State
2025 CUSA Setters of the Week
S1 Mattie Gantt & Kalia Kohler, UTEP
S8 Kalia Kohler, UTEP
S15 Callie Bauer, WKU
S22 Callie Bauer, WKU
S29 Savannah Cook, FIU
O6 Callie Bauer, WKU
O13 Callie Bauer, WKU
O20 Callie Bauer, WKU
O27 Kaeley Walz, Kennesaw State
N3 Callie Bauer, WKU
2025 CUSA Freshmen of the Week
S1 Kaira Knox, WKU
S8 Peyton McKee, Missouri State
S15 Kaira Knox, WKU
S22 Chloe Monson, Sam Houston
S29 Raegan Durbin, Middle Tennessee
O6 Sonja Laaksonen, WKU
O13 Charlee Solomon, Jax State
O20 Hannah Gardner, Missouri State
O27 Rebekah Pfefferkorn, FIU
N3 Kaira Knox, WKU