Three Winthrop University volleyball players received Big South Conference weekly awards Monday following the Eagles’ undefeated week.
Middle blocker KeAra Bowen was named Player of the Week, setter Lexi Thatcher earned Setter of the Week honors, and libero Addison Torain was selected as Libero of the Week.
Bowen earned the first conference weekly award of her career and became the second Winthrop player to receive Player of the Week honors this season. Filling in at middle blocker because of injuries, she recorded 21 kills on 36 attempts for a .528 hitting percentage and added three blocks in two victories.
Bowen had 10 kills against UNC Asheville before delivering a perfect performance against USC Upstate, finishing with 11 kills and no errors on 19 attempts. Her .528 hitting percentage led the conference for the week.
Thatcher collected her fourth Setter of the Week award this season after guiding Winthrop to wins over UNC Asheville and USC Upstate. She recorded a season-high 53 assists, 12 digs and five kills in a five-set victory over UNC Asheville, followed by 36 assists and 13 digs in the sweep of USC Upstate.
Her 89 assists led the Big South for the week, as did her average of 11.13 assists per set.
Torain earned her third Libero of the Week honor after totaling 32 digs without an error in 31 serve-receive attempts. She recorded 17 digs against UNC Asheville and 15 against USC Upstate, averaging four digs per set to rank fourth in the conference.
The three awards highlight Winthrop’s strong week as the Eagles continue their Big South schedule.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
