#BIGEASTvb Weekly Honors Shared Among Three Teams
NEW YORK -- Efrosini Alexakou earns Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in 2019 as she led St. John’s to a 1-1 with 4.33 kills per set. Butler’s Melody Davidson was a force to be reckoned with at the net amassing 22 blocks over three matches. Creighton’s Keeley Davis picks up her fifth consecutive Freshman of the Week honor after leading the Bluejays to a 2-0 weekend record.
Offensive Player of the Week
Efrosini Alexakou, St. John’s, So., OH (Thessaloinki, Greece)
Alexakou earns her second Offensive Player of the Week award after a 1-1 weekend for the Red Storm. St. John’s (10-7, 2-2) fell 3-0 to then-No.14 Creighton before sweeping Providence on Saturday. The sophomore outside hitter recorded 12 kills, four digs, and two service aces against the Bluejays. Alexakou turned in 14 kills at a .571 clip to go along with eight digs in a three-set win over Providence. The Thessaloinki, Greece native leads the BIG EAST in conference play with 4.50 kills per set.
Defensive Player of the Week
Melody Davidson, Butler, So., MB (Anderson, Ind.)
Davidson led Butler (5-11, 2-2) to a 2-1 week as the Bulldogs moved into a tie for fourth place in the league standings. Davidson led the league in blocks per set last week with an average of 1.69. The sophomore totaled 22 blocks over the span of three matches. In the Bulldogs win over DePaul, Davidson recorded a season-high 11 blocks to go along with eight kills. Davidson lifted Butler to a five-set win over Georgetown with seven blocks and 10 kills on .321 hitting. The Anderson, Ind., native wrapped up the weekend with six kills and three blocks in Saturday’s three-set loss to Villanova.
Freshman of the Week
Keeley Davis, Creighton, Fr., OH (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Keeley Davis picks up her fifth consecutive Freshman of the Week honor after leading Creighton (11-3, 4-0) in kills over a 2-0 weekend. Davis led all BIG EAST rookies with 3.17 kills per set and 4.00 digs per set in sweeps over St. John’s and Seton Hall. Davis opened her weekend with 10 kills, three digs, two blocks an ace in a 3-0 win at Carnesecca Arena. The Highlands Ranch, Colo., native shared team-high honors with nine kills and three aces to go with four digs in Creighton's ninth consecutive 3-0 win over Seton Hall.
Honor Roll
Anna Logan, Butler, Sr., OH (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Logan led the Butler attack in a 2-1 weekend for the Bulldogs. The senior outside hitter averaged 3.15 kills per set over three matches. Logan recorded two double-doubles with 15 kills and 13 digs in a 3-2 win over DePaul before a 17 kill and 15 dig performance in a five-set victory at Georgetown.
Madelyn Cole, Creighton, Sr., S (Dallas Texas)
Cole continued to lead the Creighton balanced attack to a 2-0 weekend. The senior setter averaged 12.17 assists per set. Cole recorded 39 assists in a sweep of St. John’s followed by 34 assists and six kills at .750 hitting in a 3-0 victory over Seton Hall.
Haylee Gasser, Seton Hall, Sr., OH (Mission Viejo, Calif.)
Gasser launched Seton Hall to a 1-1 weekend with a career-best performance in the Pirates win over Providence. The senior put down 23 kills, including four of the Pirates’ seven in the decisive fifth set. Gasser committed only five attack errors and had a .383 attack percentage. Gasser added five more kills against then-No. 14 Creighton on Saturday.
Regan Lough, Villanova, Sr., L (Riverside, Calif.)
Lough lifted the Wildcats to a 2-0 weekend and the program’s best start since 2010 with her continued defensive effort. The senior averaged 5.33 digs per set in two sweeps for Villanova. Lough turned in a 15 dig performance in Friday’s win over Xavier and a 17 dig outing in Saturday’s victory against Butler.
Ellie Chaffee, Xavier, So., MB (Kansas City, Mo.)
Chaffee averaged the second most blocks per set in the BIG EAST last week with 1.50, 18 total over three matches. The Kansas City, Mo. had a standout performance in Xavier’s 3-2 win over Georgetown with 10 kills on .318 hitting to go along with nine blocks.