Southeastern’s Newsome, Northwestern State’s Svoboda named Southland Volleyball Players of the Week

FRISCO, Texas – Southeastern’s Kailin Newsome was named Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season and Northwestern State’s Ashlyn Svoboda earned Defensive Player of the Week honors as the fourth Southland Conference volleyball weekly awards of the season were announced Monday.

Offensive Player of the Week: Kailin Newsome, Southeastern – Jr. – Houston, Texas (Clear Brook HS)
Newsome won her second Southland Offensive Player of the Week award this season as the Lady Lions went 3-0 with three sweeps and a conference win. She averaged 15 kills per match – almost two kills per set – in three 3-0 wins on the weekend which included opening Southland play against Northwestern State and wins in the Battle of the Boot Tournament over Louisiana-Monroe & Louisiana Tech at home. Her .516 hitting percentage against ULM was a career high.
Honorable Mention: Symone Wesley, Northwestern State.

Defensive Player of the Week: Ashlyn Svoboda, Northwestern State – Soph. – Friendswood, Texas (Friendswood HS)
The NSU libero had one of the best five-match stretches in program history last week as the sophomore had 25 or more digs in three of the five matches, setting a new career high with 28 against Jackson State then topping that with 29 against Louisiana Tech. She averaged 5.73 digs per set and 25.2 per match. As a team against ULM, the Lady Demons totaled 100 digs in a match for the first time since 2019 with Svoboda responsible for 26 by herself.
Honorable Mention: Wiktoria Warpechowska, Lamar.

2022 Southland Volleyball Players of the Week
Date, Offensive / Defensive
Aug. 29, Cicily Hidalgo, Southeastern / Reaghan Thompson, Northwestern State
Sept. 5, Kailin Newsome, Southeastern / Bailey Tillman, McNeese
Sept. 12, Sophia Ewalefo, New Orleans / Ansley Tullis, Southeastern
Sept. 19, Kailin Newsome, Southeastern / Ashlyn Svoboda, Northwestern State

Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.