Warren, Akana, Litwin, and Howell Earn Volleyball Weekly Honors
MAAC Sports
Co-Player of the Week
Catrina Warren, Iona, Jr., Outside Hitter, 6-0, Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Los Osos
Junior OH Catrina Warren led the Gaels to two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victories this weekend at the Hynes Center. Warren led Iona with 31 kills, 28 digs and a .358 hitting percentage in the two matches, an average of 4.43 kills and 4.00 digs per set. She also recorded three blocks and an ace. Warren had two double-doubles with 20 kills and 17 digs vs. Rider Saturday and 11 kills and 11 digs in a three-set win over Saint Peter's Sunday. In the fourth and match-deciding set vs. the Broncs she posted seven kills and seven digs to lead the Maroon & Gold. The next day, Warren hit .476 vs. the Peacocks with one error in 21 attempts.
Co-Player of the Week
Taylor Akana, Siena, Sr., Outside Hitter, 5-7, Kaneohe, Hawaii/Kamehameha
Akana averaged four kills and 2.7 digs per set in a pair of MAAC matches for the Saints. She had one of her most dominant efforts of the season in Siena’s 3-2 home loss to defending champion Fairfield, racking up a match-high 23 kills, while adding 14 digs and three aces. Akana was unstoppable early in the match, registering an astounding nine kills as Siena took the first set. She then served the Saints on a big 8-0 run in the second set and added four kills and an ace as Siena easily won the third. Akana had another double-double in Siena’s 3-1 win over Quinnipiac, logging 13 kills and 10 digs. Akana is second in the Saints record books with 1,600 kills and sixth with 1,262 digs.
Libero of the Week
Emily Litwin, Canisius, Jr., Libero, 5-7, Williamsville, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy
Litwin posted 23 digs in the team’s four-set win at Niagara last week, the fourth time in the last five matches that Litwin has had 20 or more digs. The junior also was 23-for-24 on service receptions in the match. Litwin served out the first set when Canisius won the final five points, capped by a service ace from the Williamsvile, N.Y. native.
Rookie of the Week
Haley Howell, Siena, Fr., Setter, 5-10, Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic
Howell had two more big matches as Siena split two MAAC contests this week, averaging 10.6 assists and 1.9 digs per set on the week. In the four-set win over Quinnipiac, Howell distributed 41 assists and collected 10 digs and three aces. She also killed two of her three attacks and was part of three blocks. In the team’s tough 3-2 loss to Fairfield she dished out a match-high 54 assists and killed two of her four attacks.