COURTNEY BIRKETT OF COLORADO COLLEGE, a senior outside hitter from Newbury Park, CA has been named SCAC Volleyball Offensive Player-of-the-Week for matches played from Tuesday, September 1st through Sunday, September 6th. 

Birkett led the team during the first week of action with 97 assists, 45 kills and five service aces. She helped her team begin the season with a perfect 5-0 record. The senior also had a combined 46 digs and 12 blocks on defense during the week. Birkett orchestrated the offense in the first match of the season with a team-best 20 assists against Johnson & Wales University. She also added five kills and three blocks.

She was named the tournament MVP at the Colorado College classic after averaging a triple-double in each match with 19.3 assists, 10.8 digs and 10 kills a match. In the first match of the tournament against Franklin College, the right-side hitter led the team with 15 assists and added 10 kills and nine digs. During the second match of the weekend against Carleton College, she had a team-high 12 digs and added 19 assists and nine kills.

Birkett finished the tournament leading the team with 18 assists, 12 kills and had 13 digs for her first-triple-double of the season against the University of Dubuque. In the final match of the week, she had a team-best 25 assists along with nine digs and nine kills against the University of Texas at Tyler. 

Other outstanding performances in the SCAC:
Sophomore middle blocker Rebekah Bowden of Austin College helped AC to a 5-0 season opener boasting a .521 hitting percentage with 2.59 kills per set (best on the team) and 1.35 blocks per set. Junior middle blocker Carlie Childres of Texas Lutheran University claimed All-Tournament honors at the Austin College Invitational by hitting .477in four matches and contributing 18 total blocks and 41.5 total points. Junior outside hitter Mairin Guilfoyle of the University of Dallas boasted team-highs in all five matches last week notching 50 kills, 19 digs and three service aces. Sophomore middle blocker Kristina Hughes of Trinity University finished the weekend with 55 total kills (2.39/game), 17 blocks, eight digs and a team-best .328 hitting percentage over her 23 games played. Freshman outside hitter Hailey Lawson of Centenary College scored 47 total kills (fifth best in conference) and 2.76 k/s (eight best in conference). Senior right side hitter Abbie Robb of Southwestern University helped lead the Pirates to a perfect 5-0 opening with 44 kills and 11 blocks.