Sept. 15, 2008

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – (Monday, September 15, 2008) A successful weekend for the Redhawks volleyball team turned into a successful start of the new week for the program as the Redhawks swept the Ohio Valley Conference weekly awards for the first time in their rich history. Sophomore Claire Keaton (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy) was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week, junior Molly Davis (Muncie, Ind./Burris HS) was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week and senior Alyssa Aston (Franklin, Tenn./Franklin HS) was named OVC Setter of the Week for their efforts this past weekend in helping the Redhawks to a second-place finish at the Hampton Inn Saluki Invitational with a 2-1 record. It is the first OVC weekly award of all three players.

Keaton recorded 66 kills (4.71 kps), 37 digs (2.64 dps), three aces, eight blocks and a .235 attack percentage enroute to be named to the Hampton Inn Saluki Invitational All-Tournament Team. In the tournament’s opening match against 6-1 Arkansas State, Keaton led the Redhawks (2-4) with 20 kills and added 16 digs for her second double-double of the season. She hit a team-high .263 and added two aces and two solo blocks (three total) accounting for a match-high 24.5 points.

That wasn’t her best game of the weekend however as she keyed a dramatic comeback 3-2 victory over Western Illinois on Saturday morning. She set a new career-best with a match-high 27 kills against the Westerwinds on a career-high 80 attacks. She also chipped in 15 digs defensively for her second-straight double-double and third of the season. Keaton added one assist, one service ace and four total blocks. Her match-high 30.5 points were also a new career best.

She ended the weekend with a team-high 19 kills against non-conference rival and tournament host Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in the championship game. She had an attack percentage of .300 and added six digs and one block assist.

Keaton leads the team in kills, attack percentage and points for the season.

Molly Davis set a new career-high with 35 digs vs. Western Illinois and matched it vs. SIU

Davis joined Keaton on the Hampton Inn Saluki Invitational All-Tournament Team as she paced the Redhawks defensive efforts. She recorded 93 digs over the weekend for a 6.64 per set average. She committed only two receiving errors in 95 total chances. Offensively she contributed one kill, six assists and three service aces from the backline. Against the newly named Red Wolves of Arkansas State she finished with 23 digs and added two assists and her ace in the five-set victory.

In the match against Western Illinois she led the defense with a new career-high 35 digs. She didn’t commit a single receiving error and helped hold the Westerwinds to 14 total points and a .054 attack percentage in the critical third set. The 14 points represents the team’s best defensive set this season.

She matched her career-best in the championship match with a match-high 35 digs against the Salukis. She again was errorless and added her first kill of the season while dishing out two assists.

Davis leads the team in digs with 128 for a 5.12 average. She has only six receiving errors this season.

Aston made the most of her first starts of the season. She dished out 142 assists for a 10.14 average per set. She also added 10 kills, one service ace, 32 digs (2.29 dps) and four block assists. In her first start of the season against the Red Wolves, Aston led the team with 47 assists. She added seven digs and one block assist on the defensive end.

Alyssa Aston set a season-high 51 balls vs Western Illinois

Against the Westerwinds she handed out a team and season-high 51 assists and added 15 digs for her first double-double of the season. She also recorded five kills and two block assists.

Later that night against the Salukis, aston recorded her second-straight double-double with a team-best 44 digs and 10 digs. She contributed four kills offensively and a block assist defensively.

Aston leads the team in assists with 154.

This is the first time the Redhawks have had multiple OVC weekly winners in the same week.

The Redhawks open up OVC play this weekend with a three-match homestand starting with a showdown with Eastern Kentucky on Friday, September 19 at 7:00 p.m. in Houck Field House. On Saturday the Redhawks host Morehead State at 2:00 p.m.