NEW ORLEANS – James Madison’s Kennedy Louisell and Julia McNeley and South Alabama’s Anna Loberg 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.)
James Madison’s Kennedy Louisell continued her historic 2025 season with 57 kills (5.70 per set) in a pair of JMU wins over Georgia Southern this past weekend - including breaking her own all-time program record for single-match kills (38) in Saturday's five-set win. Louisell hit a combined .354 across 10 sets of play, tallying just 12 errors in 127 attempts (57-12-127). On Saturday, Louisell became the only player in Division I Women's Volleyball this season with multiple matches of 35+ kills and the only player with at least 35 kills and 20 digs in a match this season. In her historic effort, Louisell hit a staggering .418 with 38 kills and just five errors in a career-high 79 attempts (38-5-79). She had a career-high 20 digs as well. It also marked the first time since 2003 a Sun Belt Volleyball player had reached the 38 kill mark and remains tied for third kills in a single match across the league’s history. On Friday, she had 19 kills and hit .250, tallying a double-double with 14 digs. As of Sunday night, she sits fifth on the JMU single-season kills list (455) and is averaging 5.29 kills per set - which would be a school record. She leads the country in kills and was second in kills per set before last weekend.
Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
Julia McNeley, James Madison
(Sr., L, Louisville, Ky.)
James Madison senior libero Julia McNeley led the Sun Belt with 53 digs in 10 sets, averaging 5.30 per set to sit second in the league. McNeley led the Dukes defensively in a pair of wins over Georgia Southern as she had 21 digs and a season-high four service aces in JMU's 3-2 win. On Saturday, McNeley tallied a career-high 32 digs in the Dukes' win, becoming just the fourth Sun Belt player this season with over 30 digs in a match. She became the first JMU player with 30 digs or more in a match since Jaydyn Clemmer had 35 in the 2023 Sun Belt Semifinals against Texas State and helped JMU hold Georgia Southern to a .155 hitting percentage, its second-lowest effort of the season. She sits fourth in the conference in digs (3.54) and is sixth in digs per set (4.12) as of Sunday.
Volleyball Setter of the Week
Anna Loberg, South Alabama
(RS Sr., S, Geneva, Ill.)
South Alabama’s Anna Loberg dished out 80 assists and averaged 10.00 assists per game against the Ragin’ Cajuns. Loberg also had a pair of aces and averaged 2.13 digs per set, while also chipping in with three kills and three blocks. On Friday in the series opener, Loberg posted her 14th career double-double with 37 assists and 10 digs and additionally added three kills. She also eclipsed the 1,700 assists mark for her career in the match and moved into 10th-place at South Alabama in career assists, passing Michelle Landa (1,701, 2002-04). In Saturday’s series finale, Loberg was credited with 43 assists and led the Jaguars to 55 kills and a .241 hitting percentage. The Geneva, Ill., native spread the ball around as four players had nine or more kills, and Loberg averaged nearly 11 assists per set in the four-set victory. Loberg also chipped in with seven digs, two total blocks and a pair of aces. With her 43 assists, Loberg moved passed former Jag Christine Spikes (1,714, 1975-76) for ninth place as she now has 1,750 career assists. Loberg 35 or more assists each of her last seven matches. Her 9.15 assists per set against league foes is second-most among setters and South’s .269 hitting percentage leads the Sun Belt, while the Jaguars are also second in kills (14.00 per set) and tied with James Madison for top honors in points (18.35 per set).
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
Week 8 – Alex Myers, Georgia Southern
Week 9 – 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
Week 8 – Briana Wilson, South Alabama
Week 9 – Julia McNeley, James Madison
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
Week 8 – Anna Loberg, South Alabama
Week 9 – Anna Loberg, South Alabama