VolleyMob Player of the Week: Missouri State’s Lily Johnson

Sometimes the numbers are too good to ignore and thus we have our first repeat winner of VolleyMob Player of the Week, Missouri State’s Lily Johnson.

The senior outside hitter averaged 5.56 kills and 5.56 digs per set, while hitting at a .270 clip in wins over previously unbeaten conference foes Drake and No. 17 Northern Iowa. The Wildwood, Missouri, native started the weekend with a bang, notching 28 kills and adding a career best 32 digs vs. Drake. With the effort, Johnson became just the second player in school history and first since 1989 to record 25 kills and 30 digs in a match. For good measure, the senior also added four blocks in the victory. The Missouri Valley Player of the Week capped her week with a 22-kill, 18-dig double double, two blocks and an ace, while managing a .312 hitting effort in the upset win, which kept Missouri State’s NCAA best road winning streak going at 18 matches.

Several other players posted outstanding efforts on the week, but couldn’t quite match Johnson’s statistical feats.

Honorable Mention:

Jaali Winters, Creighton – Jr., OH
5.25 kills per set on a .295 hitting effort, with 3.25 digs per set vs. Butler, Xavier; tallied career high 28 kills, 19 digs, 2 blocks and an ace vs. Butler; 14 kills on .433 hitting with seven digs vs. Xavier

Carlyle Nusbaum, Lipscomb – Jr., OH
5.00 kills per set, hitting .350 and adding 3.38 digs per set; also added 4 assists, 4 blocks, 1 ace; Hit .320 or better in all three matches; Notched 23 kills, career-high 18 digs vs. Belmont; 5 kills in one set of action vs. NJIT; 12 kills, .320, 9 digs vs. USC Upstate

Ashley Muench, UNC Greensboro –Sr., OH
4.83 kills per set on .391 hitting, also added 4.83 digs and 1.17 blocks per set; Tallied 1,400 career kill vs. Citadel; tallied 15 kills, .333, 18 digs, perfect 18 for 18 on serve receive vs. Western Carolina; hit .467 vs. Citadel with 14 kills, no errors, 11 digs, 6 blocks; was 37 of 38 on serve receive for the weekend

Scout McLarren, Buffalo – So., S
12.57 assists per set, 2.86 digs per set, 1.14 kills per set; team hit .327 vs. NIU, as she accounted for 35 assists, 8 digs, 2 blocks, 4 kills; team hit .315 vs. WMU as she recorded 53 assists, 12 digs, 4 kills, 2 blocks

Madison Lilley, Kentucky – Fr., S
12.14 assists per set, 1.42 digs per set; team hit .309 in upset win over No. 1 Florida as she dished out 52 assists and added 10 digs and 4 kills; team hit .410 against Texas A&M as she dished out 33 assists and added seven digs, 2 blocks, 2 kills

Mikaela Purnell, North Dakota State – Sr., L
8.67 digs per set in sweeps of Omaha and Western Illinois; 25 digs vs. Omaha; 27 vs. WIU; Summit League Defensive Player of the Week

Other Notables:

Emily Butters, Missouri State – Jr., L
7.44 dps; perfect 97 for 97 in serve receive; career high 44 digs vs. Drake; 23 digs in upset win over UNI; added 10 assists on the week; Missouri Valley Defensive Player of the Week

Alondra Bautista, Bethune Cookman – Sr., OH
Averaged 4.08 kps, 3.83 dps, hit .303; 14 kills, 14 digs, 2 blocks vs. UNF; 23 kills, 18 digs, .486 hitting, 3 blocks 2 aces vs. North Carolina A&T; 12 kills, 14 digs, .333 vs. North Carolina Central; Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Week

Mary Kate Marshall, Oregon State – Sr., OH
4.60 kills per set on a .231 hitting effort with 2.10 digs per set in upset wins over #14 Washington, Washington State (RV); posted 25 kills, 10 digs in upset of Washington; 21 kills, 11 digs vs. WSU; Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week

Julymar Otero, Towson – Sr., OH
6.62 assists, 3.50 digs and 2.50 kills per set; also added 2 aces and 2 blocks; posted 8 kills, 25 assist, 14 digs vs. Delaware; notched triple double with 12 kills, 28 assists, 14 digs vs. James Madison; Colonial Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week