NEW ORLEANS – Troy’s Tori Hester, Arkansas State’s Sarah Martinez and App State’s Addison Heidemann each turned in impressive performances to lead in various statistics across the league. They have been named Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Players of the Week.
Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week
Tori Hester, Troy
(Sr., OH, Salisbury, N.C.) #10
Troy’s senior outside hitter Tori Hester recorded 63 total kills in Troy's pair of wins on the road against Southern Miss to earn her second weekly honor of the season. On Thursday night, Hester recorded 33 kills in Troy's thrilling 3-2 win. It was the second most kills in a match in program history and was just three shy of the all-time record of 36, which Hester set last season. She registered the 33 kills on 100 swings, the most in program history. It is the most kills in a match by a Sun Belt player this season and is tied for the eighth-most in a five-set match in Division I women's volleyball this year. She is also just the fourth player in the country to record triple-digit attacks in a match this season. She followed up her dominant showing with 30 kills in another 3-2 win for Troy on Friday. On her 20th kill of the night, she became Troy's all-time leader in kills with 1,672. With the showing, she also stands alone atop the Troy record book in points (1,929.5) and kills per set (3.99). She is the first Trojan to record 30 or more kills in back-to-back matches. Hester finished her historic weekend with 63 kills on 186 attempts with 25 errors for a .206 hitting percentage. Her 63 kills were 25 more than the next person in the Sun Belt. Her 6.30 kills per set were 1.55 clear of second in the SBC. Hester's match streak with double-digit kills was extended to 46, which continues to be the longest known active streak in Division I women's volleyball.
Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
Sarah Martinez, Arkansas State
(Sr., L, Flower Mound, Texas)
Arkansas State’s senior libero Sarah Martinez guided the league’s top defense to another stellar showing with 5.25 digs per set (42 total) and helping limit the high-powered Jaguars to just .154 offensively. The Flower Mound, Texas native had 15 digs in the opener on Friday before matching her season-best with 27 digs in Saturday’s victory. This marks the second weekly honor for Martinez this season.
Volleyball Setter of the Week
Addison Heidemann, App State
(RS-Jr., S, Diller, Neb.) #4
App State redshirt junior setter Addison Heidemann helped the Mountaineers with a 3-0 sweep of Marshall on Nov. 8 and defeat the Thundering Herd, 3-2, on Nov. 9. On the weekend, Heidemann totaled 99 assists, averaging 12.38 per set, in addition to three aces, 11 digs, and one block. In Friday’s sweep, Heidemann totaled 38 of the Mountaineers’ 42 assists. She also tallied a kill, served up an ace and recorded seven digs. On Saturday, Heidemann accounted for 61 of App State’s 64 assists. She also served up two aces, recorded four digs, and tallied one kill and one block. For the weekend, the Diller, Neb. native led the Sun Belt in assists and helped App State to rank second in team hitting percentage (.255) and team kills (15.00 per set), as well as third in assists (13.25 per set) and team aces (1.63 per set). During league action, Heidemann ranks second in aces (23) and third in the league in assists (10.40 per set). On the season, Heidemann ranks fourth in assists (8.59 per set) and sixth in aces (28 total). This marks the second weekly honor this season for Heidemann.
2024 Sun Belt Volleyball Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Tori Hester, Troy
Week 2 – Jillian Gray, Georgia Southern
Week 3 – Amiah Butler, Troy
Week 4 – Samantha Wunsch, Texas State
Week 5 – Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina
Week 6 – Reagan Barth, Georgia Southern
Week 7 – Brenya Reid, James Madison
Week 8 – Brenya Reid, James Madison
Week 9 – Samantha Wunsch, Texas State
Week 10 – Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina
Week 11 – Tori Hester, Troy
2024 Sun Belt Volleyball Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Ashlyn Lovett, Georgia Southern
Week 2 – Sarah Martinez, Arkansas State
Week 3 – Ashlyn Lovett, Georgia Southern
Week 4 – Ashlyn Lovett, Georgia Southern
Week 5 – Torrey Tkach, Southern Miss
Week 6 – Jade Defraeye, Texas State
Week 7 – Sunni Sheppard, Southern Miss
Week 8 – Beatrice Ciccarelli, Marshall
Week 9 – Daedrianna Cail, Arkansas State
Week 10 – Alyssa Ortega, Texas State
Week 11 – Sarah Martinez, Arkansas State
2024 Sun Belt Volleyball Setters of the Week
Week 1 – Brynn Brown, Marshall
Week 2 – Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern
Week 3 – Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern
Week 4 – Addison Heidemann, App State
Week 5 – Ryann Torres, Texas State
Week 6 – Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern
Week 7 – Jordan Smart, James Madison
Week 8 – Anna Loberg, South Alabama
Week 9 – Anna Loberg, South Alabama
Week 10 – Ryann Torres, Texas State
Week 11 – Addison Heidemann, App State