Courtesy: Atlantic Sun Conference
ATLANTA – Cortney VanLiew of FGCU, Carlyle Nusbaum of Lipscomb, Chelcie Spence of Stetson and Dana Axner of FGCU are this week’s ASUN Conference Volleyball Weekly awards winners, announced by the conference office on Monday.
After a big weekend and huge performance in a win over a Power 5 opponent, FGCU’s Cortney VanLiew takes home this week’s honor of Player of the Week. The sophomore outside hitter tallied 53 kills in a 2-1 weekend for Matt Botsford’s squad. Her 53 kills are currently tied for lead the ASUN with Stetson’s Eva Deisa. VanLiew kicked off her season with a 17-kill performance in a win against FAU on Friday night. In that match she also hit an eye-popping .516. The Indiana native’s biggest performance came against the toughest competition last weekend, as she went for 21 kills, eight digs and a .471 hitting percentage in a 3-0 sweep of Miami, who was an NCAA Tournament team in 2017. Three games into the season, VanLiew leads the ASUN in kills/set and hitting percentage at 5.30 and .411 respectively.
Nusbaum adds to her decorated career, as she takes home her 10th career Player of the Week honor; the most in ASUN history. The senior from Overland Park, Kan. was an integral part in Lipscomb’s wins over SMU and Iowa, two top-100 teams last season. She notched double-doubles in both games. In Friday’s win against SMU, she had 10 kills and 11 digs to go along with a .358 hitting percentage. She followed that up with an even better performance against Big Ten foe Iowa, as she had 21 kills, 13 digs and a hitting percentage of .356. Nusbaum now ranks 11th in ASUN history in kills with 1,346.
The Stetson Hatters went 3-0 over the weekend, their best start since 1996, and it wouldn’t have been down without the defensive effort from Chelcie Spence. The sophomore defensive specialist totaled 58 digs in the Hatters’ perfect weekend, including a 23-dig performance in a comeback win over FIU. Spence is just the second player ever in Stetson history to win the award, the first being Ellen Hawks back in 2013.
Dana Axner kicked off her collegiate career with a bang over the weekend. She started at libero for the Eagles and helped them to two victories, en route to earning this week’s Freshman of the Week award. Axner totaled 40 digs over the weekend, which currently leads all ASUN freshmen and is top-10 in the league. She becomes the sixth-ever FGCU player to win the honor, joining teammates Amanda Carroll, Cortney VanLiew, Snowny Burnam and Dani Serrano.
ASUN Volleyball Players of the Week – Aug. 27th
Courtney VanLiew, FGCU
Sophomore | Outside Hitter | Seymour, Ind. | Exercise Science
– Second Career ASUN Player of the Week Award; first this season
– Recorded 53 kills, 5.30 kills/set, 18 digs and a .411 hitting percentage in a 2-1 weekend for FGCU
– Had 17 kills and hit .516 in FGCU’s season opening win over FAU
– Tallied 20 kills and eight digs in the Eagles’ sweep of Miami
– FGCU’s win over Miami was the program’s first-ever road win over a Power 5 opponent
Carlyle Nusbaum, Lipscomb – Aug. 27th
Senior | Outside Hitter | Overland Park, Kan. | Business Marketing
– 10th Career ASUN Player of the Week Award; most in ASUN history
– Registered 31 kills, 3.88 kills/set, 24 digs, three blocks and a .358 hitting percentage in a 2-0 weekend for Lipscomb
– In Friday’s sweep of SMU, Nusbaum recorded a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs
– Led the charge in a comeback win over Iowa, with 21 kills, 13 digs and a .356 hitting percentage
– Now sits 11th all-time in ASUN history in kills with 1,346
Other Nominees: Mallory Mattingly, Jacksonville; Liesl Engelbrecht, Kennesaw State; Casey Goodwin, Liberty; Taryn Griffey, North Florida; Eva Deisa, Stetson
For an ASUN record TENTH time in her career @icarlyyy12 is your #ASUNVB Player of the Week! 🥳🎉 Nusbaum totaled 31 kills, 3.11 kills/set and a .358 hitting percentage, helping @LipscombVBall defeat SMU and Iowa!
📰: https://t.co/6AOfGuBXDL#ASUNVB #LUVolleyball #HornsUp pic.twitter.com/HJifWrZOuo
— #ASUNVB 🏐 (@ASUNVolleyball) August 27, 2018
ASUN Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week – Aug. 27th
Chelcie Spence, Stetson
Sophomore | Defensive Specialist | El Paso, Texas | Discovery
– First Career ASUN Defensive Player of the Week Award; second in Stetson history
– Spence’s honor is just the second Defensive Player of the Week award in Stetson history (Ellen Hawks 2013)
– Totaled 58 digs and 4.83 digs/set in a 3-0 weekend for the Hatters
– Helped the Hatters to a 3-0 start, their best start since 1996
– Spence and Stetson travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. next weekend for the MTSU Blue Raider Bash
Other Nominees: Dana Axner, FGCU; Natalie Wehner, Jacksonville; Liesl Engelbrecht, Kennesaw State; Margaret Latchford, Liberty; Lauren Anderson, Lipscomb; Adriana Nieto, NJIT; Gabby O’Connell, North Florida.
ASUN Volleyball Freshman of the Week – Aug. 27th
Dana Axner, FGCU
Freshman | Defensive Specialist | Dublin, Ohio
– First Career ASUN Freshman of the Week Award
– Becomes the sixth-ever FGCU player to win, joining teammates Amanda Carroll, Cortney VanLiew, Snowy Burnam and Dani Serrano
– Recorded a total of 40 digs and 4.00 digs/set over the weekend for FGCU
– Tallied a career-high 20 digs in the Eagles’ loss to UCF on Friday night
– Axner’s 40 digs leads all ASUN freshmen and sits in the top-10
Other Nominees: Giao Huynh, Jacksonville; Kailey Macy, Liberty; Lanie Wagner, Lipscomb; Solimar Cestero, North Florida.
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