COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference announced its Week 5 Volleyball Players of the Week on Monday, with South Dakota Mines’ Cate Warren, Chadron State College’s Sarah Meservey, and Colorado School of Mines’ Kaiya Gilbert earning the conference’s latest weekly honors.
Warren was named Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, while Meservey earned her first Defensive Player of the Week honor. Gilbert claimed her third Setter of the Week award of the season.

Offensive
Cate Warren, South Dakota Mines (Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Dallas, Texas)
 Warren earned her second Offensive Player of the Week honor of the 2026 season after leading the Hardrockers to a 2-0 week against Chadron State and Black Hills State University. In South Dakota Mines’ first matchup of the week against Chadron State, Warren tallied 18 kills (3.60 KPS) to help the Hardrockers secure a hard-fought 3-2 victory. South Dakota Mines then hosted rival Black Hills State, where Warren added 15 kills while hitting .357, helping the Hardrockers defeat the Yellow Jackets in four sets. For the week, the Dallas, Texas, native totaled 33 kills, averaging 3.67 kills per set, while also contributing an assist and six blocks.

Others Nominated: Rowan Tribelhorn, Adams State; Carsyn Mettler, Black Hills State; Mataya Ward, Chadron State; Molly Whalen, Colorado Mesa; Cadence McDonald, Colorado School of Mines; Andi Nothdurft, CSU Pueblo; Mayah Pridgett, MSU Denver; Kendal Allaire, Regis; Payton Tompkins, UCCS; Sierra Long, Western Colorado.

Defensive
Sarah Meservey, Chadron State (Junior, Middle, Spanish Fork, Utah)
 Meservey was a key contributor in Chadron State’s 1-1 week, helping the Eagles earn a 3-1 victory over Black Hills State before pushing South Dakota Mines to five sets. In Chadron State’s first match of the week, Meservey made her presence felt at the net, recording five blocks and four kills. She carried that momentum into Thursday’s matchup against the Hardrockers, delivering a record-setting performance in the five-set thriller. Meservey totaled 13 blocks, tying Chadron State’s single-match record set in 1988 and marking the most blocks by an RMAC volleyball player in a five-set match since 2016. Her dominant defensive effort helped the Eagles finish with 19 total blocks, the most by any team in the RMAC this season.

Others Nominated: Ashlyn Jones, Adams State; Peyton McLeod, Black Hills State; Jaycee Windorski, Colorado Mesa; Jenna McLaughlin, Colorado School of Mines; Finja Schul, CSU Pueblo; Alyx Daugherty, Fort Lewis; Trynity Martin, MSU Denver; Cady Knight, Regis; Allison Nowak, South Dakota Mines; Sydney Hyde, UCCS; Makaelah Paulino, Western Colorado.

Setter
Kaiya Gilbert, Colorado School of Mines (Freshman, Setter, Castle Rock, Colo.)
Gilbert continues to shine in her debut season with the Orediggers, earning her third Setter of the Week honor in just five weeks. The freshman from Castle Rock helped Colorado School of Mines post a perfect 2-0 week, with both victories coming in straight sets. In the Orediggers’ first match against Colorado Christian University, Gilbert recorded 26 assists on 79 set attempts, helping Mines post 41 kills. She once again led the offense in the team’s second match of the week against No. 24 Metropolitan State University of Denver, tallying 30 assists on 89 attempts as the Orediggers recorded 37 kills. Across the two matches, Gilbert totaled 56 assists and helped Mines hit .254 as a team. On the season, she leads the RMAC with 514 total assists and is tied for first in the conference with 10.08 assists per set.
 
Others Nominated: Isabella DeLaRosa, Adams State; Elena Atkinson, Black Hills State; Jillian Donovan, Chadron State; Ashlyn Tafoya, Colorado Mesa; Madison Gardner, CSU Pueblo; Madelyn Lynett, Regis; Emily Henderson, South Dakota Mines; Aubrey Miller, UCCS; Olivia Moore, 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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