COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –  The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference announced its Week 9 Volleyball Player of the Week awards on Monday, with Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Hayden Liebsack joining Colorado School of Mines’ Jenna McLaughlin and Kaiya Gilbert as the latest winners.
Liebsack claims the conference’s offensive award, while McLaughlin and Gilbert earn the defensive and setter honors. The awards mark the fifth and sixth of the season for McLaughlin and Gilbert, respectively, while Liebsack claims her first.

Offensive
Hayden Liebsack, MSU Denver (Freshman, Outside Hitter, Omaha, Neb.)
Liebsack is the Week 9 Offensive Player of the Week after leading MSU Denver to back-to-back wins over the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Colorado State University Pueblo in RMAC power pod contests. In the Roadrunners’ first matchup of the three-team round-robin tournament, Liebsack recorded 12 kills in the sweep of the Mountain Lions, giving her four kills per set. The Omaha, Nebraska, native then had 21 kills on 43 attempts in game two, as she pushed her team to a four-set victory over the ThunderWolves. Against CSU Pueblo, Liebsack was ultra-efficient, tallying a .326 hitting percentage and 5.25 kills per set. In total, the freshman had 33 kills, a .250 hitting percentage, and 4.71 kills per set.

Others Nominated: Lizzie MacIntosh, Adams State; Zoie Husman, Black Hills State; Sienna Thatcher, Colorado Christian; Kaitlyn Hall, Colorado Mesa; Jenna McLaughlin, Colorado School of Mines; Lilly Zwart, CSU Pueblo; Alina Nunez, Fort Lewis; Sabrina Landman, Regis; Cate Warren, South Dakota Mines; Maggie Legg, Western Colorado.

Defensive
Jenna McLaughlin, Colorado School of Mines (Junior, Middle Blocker, Zanesville, Ohio)
McLaughlin earns yet another Player of the Week honor, moving her season total to five. She claims her latest award after anchoring the Colorado School of Mines defense in two straight-set victories over Colorado Mesa University and Westminster University. Against the Mavericks, McLaughlin recorded eight total blocks (2.67 blocks per set) and tallied 12 kills. In game two, the junior had five blocks (1.67 blocks per set), one dig, and nine more kills. With the help of McLaughlin, the Orediggers held their opponents to a combined hitting percentage of .118, which ranked No. 1 in the RMAC this week, and stretched their winning streak to 12.

Others Nominated: Rowan Tribelhorn, Adams State; Peyton McLeod, Black Hills State; Brooklin Frazier, Colorado Christian; Jaycee Windorski, Colorado Mesa; Andi Nothdurft, CSU Pueblo; Alyx Daugherty, Fort Lewis; Mayah Pridgett, MSU Denver; Cady Knight, Regis; Maria Bouman, South Dakota Mines; Breanna Nohava, Western Colorado.

Setter
Kaiya Gilbert, Colorado School of Mines (Freshman, Setter, Castle Rock, Colo.)
Gilbert earns Setter of the Week honors after helping Colorado School of Mines post a 2-0 record in RMAC Power Pod action. In the opening match against the Mavericks, Gilbert dished out 35 assists in three sets (11.67 assists per set) while adding four kills, five digs, and six blocks. She continued her strong performance in the second match, recording 28 assists (9.33 assists per set), 10 digs, and four blocks. Across six sets, the freshman totaled 63 assists, averaging 10.50 per set, to go along with 15 digs, 10 blocks, and five kills.

Others Nominated: Isabella DeLaRosa, Adams State; Elena Atkinson, Black Hills State; Krista Traynor, Colorado Christian; Ashlyn Tafoya, Colorado Mesa; Kendall Schmitz, CSU Pueblo; Addie Garn, Fort Lewis; GabriElle Brewer, MSU Denver; Madelyn Lynett, Regis; Emily Henderson, South Dakota Mines; Anuhea Kaalele, Western Colorado.

About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 67 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.

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