ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – For the second straight week and the third time this season, McKenna Melville was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week. The rookie posted back-to-back career highs in kills to help the No. 25 Knights stay perfect in league play with wins over Houston and SMU.
It was the fourth straight week the Knights have had a player honored by the league.
“McKenna continues to be the enforcer we need in critical situations,” head coach Todd Dagenais said. “She did it all weekend long, despite not always playing her best. I thought her teammates did a great job of helping her be put in a situation to be successful. She is certainly having an All-America caliber year, but I know her focus is on finishing these last seven conference matches at the highest level possible. All of her significant goals are team goal, not individual accolades.”
Melville powered the Knights behind 6.11 kills per set at a .299 attack percentage. The Eagan, Minn., too 137 swings on the weekend, and committed just 14 attack errors. The rookie also got the job done on defense with three blocks, one solo, and a 4.0 digs per set average.
The young outside hitter totaled the first 20-kill, 20-dig match for UCF since 2011 on Friday night against Houston with a career-high 27 kills and 20 digs. She followed that up with another career performance with 28 kills at a .339 hitting percentage over four sets against SMU on Sunday.
Libero Jordan Pingel was also tabbed to the league’s honor roll after recording 6.33 digs per set, including a career-high 34-saves performance against Houston last Friday, which tied for third most in a single match in program history.
Melville, Pingel and the Knights hit the road on short rest for matches at UConn on Thursday and Temple on Saturday.
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