ORLANDO – After guiding the Knights to two sweeps over Cincinnati on the road, UCF middle blocker Nerissa Moravec was named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The Defensive Player of the Week award is Moravec's second this season as she was also named Player of the Week on Feb. 8.
"Nerissa was really locked in on the blocking side this weekend," said UCF head coach Todd Dagenais. "She did a great job of reading her cues and executing based on the probabilities of what was happening in front of her. She has shown great growth in that area this year."
Continuing to build on a career year, Moravec was an absolute force at the net over the weekend. On Saturday alone, Moravec set the UCF match record for total blocks and block assists in a three-set match in the rally-scoring era with 11 against the Bearcats. Between the two three-set victories, Moravec averaged 2.17 blocks per set.
The middle blocker from Lincoln, Nebraska was also a factor on the offensive side of the ball as she was second on the team in kills with 15, hitting at elite .625 clip.
Following the weekend, Moravec is leading both the Knights and the conference in blocks (1.38 per set) and hitting percentage (.401). She is also fifth on the team in kills with 66 (2.19 per set).
With her 1.38 blocks per set, Moravec ranks 23rd in the nation. She is currently just .3 attacks per set shy of meeting the NCAA minimum requirement to qualify for a national ranking in hitting percentage, but if she did qualify, she would be in the top 30 in the nation.
Moravec's blocking numbers have helped the Knights to lead the conference and be top ten in the nation with 2.92 blocks per set.
UCF Junior McKenna Melville also received some recognition from the conference for her standout weekend performance, being named to the conference honor roll.
The UCF offense ran through Melville over the weekend as the Eagan, Minnesota native chimed in with 13 kills in each match. She hit a season-high .458 in Friday afternoon's sweep. With 4.33 kills per set this weekend, Melville also chimed in with 14 digs (2.33 per set), six total blocks (one per set), two service aces and even three assists. She was truly an all-around factor in the Knights' success on the road in such an important weekend.
On the year now, Melville averages 4.69 kills per set and a .274 hitting percentage. She is 12th in the nation with 5.39 points per set.
Melville was named The American Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 1.
UP NEXT
The Knights will enjoy a week off before returning home to close out the regular season with a two-match series against South Florida from March 26-27.
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