ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – After guiding the UCF volleyball team to the VolleyKnights Invitational title, libero Jordan Pingel was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
The Colorado Springs, Colo., native anchored the backline for the Knights, as they went 3-0 over the weekend to win their second tournament in as many weeks.
Pingel posted 5.18 digs per set to go along with a service ace in the final nonconference weekend of the year. Pingel recorded 12 digs against Alabama State, 16 against FGCU and a season-high 29 against Yale. The lone senior on the 2018 squad played an important role for the Knights to hold opponents below .150 hitting in five of the 11 sets this weekend.
In 2018, the libero is averaging 4.57 digs per set. She continues to close in on the program’s career record for digs. Pingel needs 152 more digs to become the first player in program history with 2,000.
Freshman McKenna Melville was also placed on The American Honor Roll. The freshman was named the VolleyKnights Invitational MVP, her second straight honor, after hitting .333 with 5.36 kills and three digs per set.
The Knights open American Athletic Conference play on Friday at USF.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF Volleyball on social media on Facebook (/UCF.Volleyball), Twitter (UCF_Volleyball) and Instagram (UCF.Volleyball).
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android phone! The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news.