LBCC Players Fill Week 8 NWAC Honors
The Roadrunners filled the week eight honors across the board completely for the south region, giving a total of four POTW (Player Of The Week) honors in three categories. This is yet another impressive achievement for a Roadrunners team that has lit up the NWCA south throughout the year. LBCC’s dominating 3-0 victory against the Clackamas Cougars helped bolster these honors and showed the team what they’re capable of when firing on all cylinders..
On offense, Mitra Aflatooni holds the honor with her 11 kills in 14 attempts, boasting a .714 kill percentage on the night. Her offense displayed fireworks and many hits proved to be too fast for the Cougars. The freshman will look to continue her successful freshman campaign and bring her team to the goal of the postseason.
The defensive side of the court gave the honors to Kya Knuth, who had a stellar performance with 14 total digs against the Cougars. Knuth effectively was able to keep the momentum on her side of the net by keeping the ball in play. Knuth not only has earned this spot, but has been on top the entire season, totalling 477 digs the entire season. This ranks first in the conference and shows her consistency on defense. Her numbers on the night were a huge reason for LBCC’s domination on the defensive side of the court.
The final honors were given to the setters, where LBCC had not only one, but two players fill the spot. Ellie Weber and Maddie Norris were given the honor after their contributions on Friday in assists. The two contributed to their teams success all night, totalling 33 assists between both of them, with Norris having 18 and Weber having 15 respectively. These huge numbers gave players like McKya Filley and Mitra Aflatooni many great opportunities and improved the rate and number of kills significantly.
Volleyball is a sport that holds teamwork at its core. Individual efforts are noticed, but the overall success of the team relies on effective group communication and teamwork. The Roadrunners look to continue on building and maintaining a level of play that outclasses the competition and hope to make a splash in the post-season. LBCC will return home on Friday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 to face south region rival Clark in a battle of the top two teams in the south and have a shot at stretching their lead at the top of the conference.
Story by Cam Hanson
