Familiar Faces Gain Final Men's Volleyball Weekly Awards
CHICAGO --- The final Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Volleyball Player of the Week recipients are familiar names in Saint Xavier University's Jan Lopuch (Krakow, Poland) and Andres Velez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) and Judson University's Elijah Wrobel (Bloomingdale, Ill.). All three individuals were recognized for their athletic efforts during the week ending April 7 and announced by the league office on Wednesday.
Velez led the group with his fourth CCAC Defender of the Week award. He averaged 4.00 digs per set over three contests, while also registering a .947 reception percentage (36 passes in 38 attempts).
The sophomore libero put up 40 digs total over his ten sets played, highlighted by his 21 digs in a four-set win over Cornerstone University (Mich.) on Saturday. That same day, he tallied 13 digs in a three-set victory against Viterbo University.
Lopuch, meanwhile, gained his third CCAC Attacker of the Week honor after averaging 3.88 kills per set and a .397 attack percentage over his three matches covering eight sets. He also produced a .925 reception percentage and 1.0 digs per set, while totaling seven aces.
The sophomore outside hitter's top performance of the week came in the second of two matches on Saturday, where he recorded 21 kills and a .385 attack percentage in the win over Cornerstone. Earlier in the day, he registered eight kills and four aces to go along with a .429 attack percentage in the Viterbo victory.
Winners of 11 matches in a row, including this past week's three victories, Saint Xavier now owns a 17-8 overall record and a perfect 9-0 mark in league play. The Cougars are also ranked No. 7 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll.
Wrobel totaled 91 assists in two matches covering six sets for an 11.38 average to garner his second CCAC Setter of the Week award this season. The junior authored a double-double last Wednesday when he secured 52 assists and 10 digs in a five-set loss to St. Ambrose University. He then put up 39 assists and five aces in a three-set win against Viterbo on Friday.
Judson is 16-9 overall and 5-3 against CCAC competition following its 1-1 week.
Other Attacker Nominees: Alex Costa (Trinity Christian), Francis Hauze (Calumet St. Joseph), Jon Guch (St. Ambrose), Trevor Kozlowski (Judson), Brody McAfee (Olivet Nazarene).
Other Defender Nominees: Kahaku Marquez (Olivet Nazarene), Jackson Otto (Judson), Pedro Castillo (Calumet St. Joseph), Ethan Karban (St. Ambrose), Diego Quiroz (Trinity Christian).
Other Setter Nominees: Pedro Castillo (Calumet St. Joseph), Anthony Anderson (St. Ambrose), Cameron Daniels (Saint Xavier), Tomas Gonzalez (Olivet Nazarene), Ryan Schmidt (Trinity Christian).