Garcia, Kavanaugh pick up GPAC weekly honors

GPAC Release

SEWARD, Neb. – Following a 3-0 week for Concordia University volleyball, sophomore Jocelyn Garcia and junior Alayna Kavanaugh earned weekly recognition from the GPAC. On Tuesday the league named Garcia the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Defensive Player of the Week and Kavanaugh the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Setter of the Week.

This marks the second time that Kavanaugh has received a weekly honor from the GPAC during her three seasons as a Bulldog. The Lincoln Christian High School product is the quarterback of a Concordia squad that now ranks No. 1 in the NAIA in kills per game (14.23). Last week Kavanaugh amassed 122 assists (12.2 per set) while adding 16 digs and nine kills. She dished out 37 assists in the straight-sets win at No. 24 Doane on Sept. 16. Kavanaugh, who has 2,723 career assists, currently ranks seventh nationally in assists per game (11.13).

In the back row, Garcia continued her stellar play last week by averaging 4.3 digs per set. She dug up 17 attacks in the signature win at Doane and then 18 more in another GPAC road win over College of Saint Mary on Sept. 19. In last week’s three victories, Garcia and company limited their opponents to hitting percentages of .035, .100 and .077, respectively. The native of Brighton, Colo., ranks ninth among GPAC players with an average of 4.0 digs per set.

Garcia, Kavanaugh and the rest of the 18th-ranked Bulldogs (14-3, 3-0 GPAC) return to action on Wednesday when they welcome fourth-ranked Midland (15-0, 2-0 GPAC) to Walz Arena. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m. (junior varsity at 6 p.m.).