Volleyball

VB: September 29 Players of the Week

DALLAS – Liberty’s Jenna Otts, UTEP’s Kaya Weaver, FIU’s Mandi Morioka and Savannah Cook, along with Middle Tennessee’s Raegan Durbin earned Conference USA Volleyball Player of the Week honors.

CUSA Offensive Player of the Week – Jenna Otts, Liberty – Jr. – OH – Saint Johns, Fla.
Otts extended her 10-kill streak to nine matches, fueling Liberty's offense during a pair of 3-0 sweeps over Louisiana Tech.  For the weekend, she hit .435, while averaging 4.00 kills per set.  Otts was the only player in the Liberty-LA Tech series to reach double figure kills in a match, and she did so on both days. On Friday, she hit .500 with a match-high 13 kills, helping Liberty hit a season-high .440 for the match. It was her second time this season hitting .500 or better while scoring 12 or more kills. Otts then led all players with 11 kills on Saturday, hitting .375 during the 3-0 sweep.
 
CUSA Co-Defensive Player of the Week – Mandi Morioka, FIU – Sr. – L – Torrance, Calif.
Morioka had a strong weekend defending the backcourt in FIU’s CUSA opener against Missouri State. The senior tallied 40 digs averaging 5.71 digs per set on the weekend. She had 21 digs on Friday and posted 19 digs in the straight-set win on Saturday. The senior libero leads the team in digs (233) and ranks fourth in CUSA.
 
CUSA Co-Defensive Player of the Week – Kaya Weaver, UTEP – Sr. – MB – Galt, Calif.
Weaver made her presence felt on both sides of the net, powering UTEP to a pair of road wins to open conference play. The senior middle blocker tallied 12 blocks (1.71/set), including three solo stops, to lead the Miners’ net defense against Sam Houston. She supplemented her defensive effort with an ace and four digs, while also contributing heavily to the offense with 19 kills (2.71/set) on a .300 hitting percentage. Weaver’s all-around performance peaked in Saturday’s four-set victory, where she delivered a match-high 19.0 points to pace the team. Her ability to control the middle and generate consistent production on both ends made her a standout performer in UTEP’s undefeated weekend. 
 
CUSA Setter of the Week – Savannah Cook, FIU – Sr. – Wilmington, N.C.
Cook totaled an impressive 84 assists in the Panther’s conference-opening sweep of Missouri State. The senior setter tallied 44 assists in the 3-1 win on Friday, Sept. 26. She followed that up posting her fourth double-double of the season with 40 assists and 12 digs in the straight-set victory on Saturday, Sept. 27. Cook leads the team in assists (460) and ranks sixth in the conference.
 
CUSA Freshman of the Week – Raegan Durbin, Middle Tennessee – OH – Thorntown, Ind.
Durbin had a stellar weekend for the Blue Raiders on all sides of the ball in Middle Tennessee’s CUSA opener against Kennesaw State. She led all players in the first match against the Owls on Friday both offensively and defensively with 13 kills on a .407 hitting efficiency and an incredible 19 digs in just three sets. Her 19-dig match is now tied in the top three performances in CUSA’s leaderboard for digs in a three-set match. Across both matches, the Thorntown, Indiana, native totaled 26 kills and 29 digs, securing a double-double in each match, averaging 3.71 kills per set and a remarkable 4.14 digs per set as an outside hitter.
 
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   
 
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   
 
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   
 
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