JU's Gerzel, SAU's Diaz Vega, ONU's Fredin Claim Final Women's VB Weekly Awards For 2024
CHICAGO --- The final Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference women's volleyball weekly awards for the 2024 season go to a trio of familiar faces following the announcement by the league office Tuesday afternoon. Judson University's Alyssa Gerzel (Lake Villa, Ill.), St. Ambrose University's Kenia Diaz Vega (Caguas, Puerto Rico) and Olivet Nazarene University's Analiese Fredin (McBain, Mich.) have all been named as honorees at least one time earlier this fall.
Gerzel posted her second CCAC Attacker of the Week honor by averaging 4.00 kills per set and attacking at a .397 clip in a pair of league wins for the seven-day period ending Nov. 10. She also put up 5.0 digs per set and contributed four blocks over her seven sets played.
The senior opposite hitter recorded a double-double in a four-set win over Indiana University Northwest on Thursday. In that match, she totaled 18 kills and 28 digs to go along with a pair of blocks.
Two days earlier, she hit .529 with ten kills, seven digs and both two aces and blocks in a straight-set victory over Calumet College of St. Joseph last Tuesday.
Judson went 18-12 overall during the regular season and 10-4 in league play to earn the No. 4 seed in this week's CCAC Tournament.
Diaz Vega remained hot in collecting her second straight and third overall CCAC Defender of the Week award. The graduate student defensive specialist averaged 7.0 digs per set and totaled 30 receptions against only one error in her two matches played covering seven sets.
Diaz Vega registered 31 digs (7.75 avg.) and 20 receptions in a four-set win over University of St. Francis on Thursday. She followed that up with 18 digs and ten receptions in a four-set loss to Nebraska Wesleyan University on Friday.
St. Ambrose, which enters the CCAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed, is 15-15 overall and went 9-5 against league competition.
Like Diaz Vega, Fredin is a three-time league award recipient with each of her honors coming in the setter category. She gained the recognition this time by averaging 9.13 assists and 2.5 digs per set to go along with five service aces in two matches.
Fredin had a big game last Tuesday when she recorded the tenth-most assists in a single match in school history with her 55 sets in a five-set decision over Trinity Christian College. That was not the only thing. She also authored 12 digs and four aces in the match.
The sophomore setter went on to record another 18 assists and eight more digs on Thursday in a three-set loss to Saint Xavier University.
Olivet Nazarene enters the CCAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed with marks of 11-17 overall and 7-7 in league play.
Other Attacker Nominees: Trenyce Bonner (St. Ambrose), Taylor Connolly (St. Francis), Yanilette Diaz (Calumet St. Joseph), Courtney Hunter (Saint Xavier), Jada Mitchell (Viterbo), Halle Nicholas (Olivet Nazarene), Erica Packwood (Indiana Northwest), Macy Sherman (Indiana South Bend).
Other Defender Nominees: Jenny Jensen (Saint Xavier), Desiree Anderson (St. Francis), Berta Comino Couceiro (Calumet St. Joseph), Sydney Hanna (Indiana South Bend), Kenidi McCabe (Viterbo), Sera Serafimova (Olivet Nazarene), Briah Strezo (Indiana Northwest), Emalee Wiley (Judson).
Other Setter Nominees: Maddie Connor (Viterbo), Samantha Hovey (Saint Xavier), Brynn Lake (Indiana South Bend), Ines Marques (St. Ambrose), Josephine Mulligan (Indiana Northwest), Ivana Quinones (Calumet St. Joseph), Kaylie Sippel (St. Francis).