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OGDEN, Utah (October 30, 2017) - Northern Arizona’s Abby Akin and Heaven Harris were named this week’s #BigSkyVB Players of the Week. Akin was named the Offensive Player of the Week, while Harris was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week.
Akin, a sophomore middle blocker from Phoenix, Ariz., was a force in the middle for NAU in helping the Lumberjacks to a pair of victories over Sacramento State and Portland State last week. Akin hit .429 – the best among all NAU players – against the Hornets and Vikings, who entered the week with only two combined Big Sky losses between them.
Akin had her best offensive match of her career in NAU’s biggest victory of the season last Thursday as the Lumberjacks handed Sacramento State its first conference loss of the season and its first conference regular season defeat in more than a calendar year. Against the Hornets, Akin logged a career-best 16 kills on 26 swings, attacking at a season-best .615 clip. Akin did not commit an error in her career-best offensive performance while helping NAU post a 14-kill advantage over Sacramento State, who entered the match with the second-most kills in the nation. Akin then tallied her second double-digit kill performance of the weekend in a four-set victory over Portland State on Saturday. Seven of her 11 kills came in the first two sets as NAU held a 2-0 lead at the intermission that it would not give up, completing the season sweep of the Vikings.
Harris, a freshman outside hitter from Phoenix, Ariz., led the Lumberjacks to victory against the league’s top two kills teams in Sacramento State and Portland State. Harris led the Lumberjacks with 14 blocks at an average of 1.56 per set. A pair of season and career-best blocking performances not only played a big role in NAU posting a pair of critical wins over the Hornets and Vikings, but in the process helped NAU outkill both teams while keeping the two teams at a combined .173 clip and 12.33 kills per set over the two matches. Comparatively, prior to the week, Sacramento State and Portland State were hitting a combined .272 and averaging 15.32 kills per set.
Harris started the week by besting her previous season-high with seven blocks in knocking off previously unbeaten Sacramento State on Thursday. Three of her seven blocks came in the decisive fifth set with the match on the line, including stuffing Sacramento State’s Shannon Boyle on match point to clinch a 16-14 fifth set victory. Harris then equaled her seven-block total on Saturday against Portland State, limiting the Big Sky’s kills leader Caitlin Bettenay to just eight kills.
Other Off. Nominees: Sarah Sharp - Idaho; Chloe Hirst - Idaho State; Kiana Black - Montana State; Sydney Griffin - North Dakota; Jadyn McCartney - Northern Colorado; Erin Clark - Portland State; Shannon Boyle - Sacramento State; MaCail Evans - Southern Utah; Andrea Hale - Weber State
Other Def. Nominees: Torrin Crawford - Idaho; Haylie Keck Idaho State; Allyssa Rizzo - Montana State; Emily O’Neil - Northern Colorado; Tasha Bojanic - Portland State; Brigitte Murdock - Sacramento State; Macky Fifita - Southern Utah; Gracey Tuifua - Weber State
2017 Offensive Players of the Week
August 28 - Lana Brown Sacramento State
Sept. 4 - Caitlin Bettenay, Portland State
Sept. 11 - Kennedy Kurtz, Sacramento State
Sept. 18 - Tamara Merseli, North Dakota
Sept. 25 - Faith Dooley, North Dakota
Oct. 2 - Kennedy Kurtz, Sacramento State
Oct. 9 - Kaela Straw, Idaho
Oct. 16 - Mikaela Nocetti, Sacramento State
Oct. 23 - Kaylie Jorgenson, Northern Arizona
Oct. 30 - Abby Akin, Northern Arizona
2017 Defensive Players of the Week
August 28 - Faith Dooley, North Dakota
Sept. 4 - Mikaelyn Sych, Portland State/Alivia Fraase, North Dakota
Sept. 11 - Brigitte Murdock, Sacramento State
Sept. 18 - Tasha Bojanic, Portland State
Sept. 25 - Alycia Wodke, Idaho
Oct. 2 - Faith Dooley, North Dakota
Oct. 9 - Haylie Keck, Idaho State
Oct. 16 - Faith Dooley, North Dakota
Oct. 23 - Tamara Merseli, North Dakota
Oct. 30 - Heaven Harris, Northern Arizona