WINTER PARK - Florida Southern Volleyball swept the Sunshine State Conference Offensive and Defensive Volleyball Player of the Week honors presented by VALIC on Monday afternoon.
The league named senior outside hitter Anne Pietkiewicz (Winter Park, Fla.) and freshman defensive specialist Arielle Fernandez (Pacifica, Calif.) as this week’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week after helping the Moccasins go 4-0 last weekend at the South/Southeast Region Challenge in Savannah, Ga. The four wins extended the Mocs win streak to seven straight matches.
“I am very happy for those two players. They both played well this past weekend,” Mocs coach Jill Stephens said.
Pietkiewicz earned Offensive Player of the Week honors after averaging 3.20 kills, 2.40 digs and hitting .274 in helping the Moccasins to four wins last weekend. For the weekend, she recorded double-doubles against 22nd-ranked Flagler (15 kills, 14 digs) and Armstrong Atlantic (20 kills, 11 digs). The 20 kills in the Mocs five-set win over Armstrong Atlantic were a season-high.
“I am super proud for Anne and her leadership ability this season,” Stephens said. “She really stepped up this past weekend had some big kills for us.”
Fernandez earned the Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 4.00 digs to help the Mocs to four region wins. She posted double figures in digs in three matches, including a career-high 21 digs in FSC’s win over Armstrong Atlantic to close the tournament. Fernandez also recorded 11 and 13 digs respectively against North Alabama and Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras. For the weekend, Fernandez and the Mocs limited their opponents to a .176 hitting percentage.
“Arielle really passed well last weekend and gave us stability in the backcourt,” the Mocs coach added.
Pietkiewicz, Fernandez and the Mocs will put its seven-match winning streak on the line this weekend as they open SSC play at home against Lynn on Friday at 7 p.m. and Barry at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Both of thE matches will be played at Jenkins Field House.