FULLERTON, Calif. - Following a stellar weekend at the Titan Classic, Cal State Fullerton volleyball players Niki Withers and McKenna Painton were named the Big West Freshman Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week respectively, the conference announced Monday.
Withers made a splash in her Fullerton-debut, smashing down 20 kills in the Titans victory over Bucknell on Friday night at Titan Gym. She recorded double-digit kills in all three matches on the weekend. Overall, Withers led the Titan Classic with a 4.30 kills per set average, drilling 43 kills in 10 sets played to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
Others nominated for Big West Freshman POW: Raeann Greisen (Cal Poly); Ashley Murray (Long Beach State); Haili Hoeft (UC Riverside); Kalei Greeley (Hawai'i).
On the defensive end, Painton continued where she left off in 2013. The sophomore out of Bakersfield, Calif. was all over the court at the Titan Classic, averaging a tournament-best 5.60 digs per set. She started the weekend off by recording 30 digs in the Titans win over Bucknell, a match that saw the Titans record 89 digs as a team.
Painton recorded 56 digs overall for the Titans in three matches to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Last season, Painton averaged 4.59 digs per set to lead the team despite playing only 69 sets. The mark ranked as the sixth best single season mark in Titans history.
Others nominated for Big West Defensive POW: Caihla Petiprin (Cal Poly); Tyler Jackson (Long Beach State); Maddie Hubbell (UC Riverside); Ali Spindt (UC Santa Barbara); Sarah Mendoza (Hawai'i).