NEW ORLEANS – James Madison’s Kennedy Louisell and Georgia Southern’s Lydia Seymour and Kirsten Barrett 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
Kennedy Louisell, James Madison
(Jr., OH, Grand Rapids, Mich.)
For the fourth time this season, James Madison’s Kennedy Louisell was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week. Louisell tied for the league lead with 40 kills in just seven sets, averaging a league-leading 5.79 kills per set with a hitting clip of .443 (40-9-70) as JMU improved to 5-1 in the Sun Belt with two wins over Marshall. In a three-set win on Thursday, Louisell recorded 17 kills (5.67 per set) and hit .484 (17-2-31) in a Dukes sweep. She also had eight digs and four blocks, finishing with 19 total points. On Friday, Louisell hit .410 with 23 kills and just seven errors in 39 attempts (23-7-39) and once again had eight digs. She has hit over .400 in three straight matches and is hitting .358 as of Sunday, sixth in the SBC.
Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
Lydia Seymour, Georgia Southern
(Jr., MB, Justin, Texas)
Georgia Southern’s Lydia Seymour led the Eagles to a pair of league road wins. The junior tallied 22 total blocks in the two matches for a 2.75 blocks per set average. Her 22 blocks were as many or more than 11 of the 14 Sun Belt teams this week. She had nine blocks and hit .357 on Friday in the Eagles' 3-1 win at Troy and registered a career-high 13 blocks on Saturday, her first career double digit block match. Seymour leads the Eagles in blocks per set overall (1.11) and in league games (1.59) this season.
Volleyball Setter of the Week
Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern
(Sr., S, Cleveland, Ohio)
For the fifth time this season, Georgia Southern senior setter Kirsten Barrett earns Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Week honors. Barrett averaged 10.83 assists per set in Georgia Southern's two road Sun Belt wins on the week, leading all league players. She registered 45 assists and three blocks in Saturday's 3-1 win at Troy and added 40 assists in the Eagles' Friday win over the Trojans, also notching six digs and two blocks. Barrett continues to excel during league play this season, averaging 11.45 assists per set in the six Sun Belt matches so far in 2025.
2025 Sun Belt Volleyball Offensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina
Week 2 – Kennedy Louisell, James Madison
Week 3 – Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina
Week 4 – Daedrianna Cail, Arkansas State
Week 5 – Kennedy Louisell, James Madison
Week 6 – Kennedy Louisell, James Madison
Week 7 – Kennedy Louisell, James Madison
2025 Sun Belt Volleyball Defensive Players of the Week
Week 1 – Maddie Cugino, Georgia Southern
Week 2 – Alexa Strandberg, South Alabama
Week 3 – Anna Rita, Coastal Carolina
Week 4 – Haley Glunz, Arkansas State
Week 5 – Anna Rita, Coastal Carolina
Week 6 – Ayen Nhial, James Madison
Week 7 – Lydia Seymour, Georgia Southern
2025 Sun Belt Volleyball Setters of the Week
Week 1 – Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern
Week 2 – Anna Blaine, Texas State
Week 3 – Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern
Week 4 – Bella Thompson, Marshall
Week 5 – Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern
Week 6 – Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern
Week 7 – Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern