Haley Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, First Freshman to do so Since 2021Haley Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, First Freshman to do so Since 2021
Jon Rose / UCF Athletics

Haley Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, First Freshman to do so Since 2021

by Alex Clough

ORLANDO - Following a historic week for UCF volleyball, which saw the Knights topple No. 24 Iowa State in the second of two dominating sweeps at The Venue, freshman Alexa Haley’s brilliance in the back row has garnered her the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week award.

Haley becomes the third Knight this season to claim a weekly honor from the conference, joining Avah Armour (Offensive, Oct. 28) and Reaghan Thompson (Defensive, Sept. 23) as the first three players to achieve the feat in program history.

For Haley, the nod comes after her best week in Black and Gold to date, leading a UCFdefense that stifled one of the nation’s top attacks. With 32 combined digs across a pair of sweeps over Houston and Iowa State, the Naples native was everywhere during the top-25 triumph.

The Cyclones entered the matchup with UCF first in the conference in kills per set (14.29) and third in hitting percentage (0.256), both marks that were among the best in the NCAA. However, from the jump, Haley and the Knights set the tone for what would be a historic win.

Iowa State registered just 39 kills (13 per set) and a minimal 0.174 hitting percentage, the Cyclones’ second-lowest average this season. Two days prior, Haley also held the Cougars to a below-normal output, as Houston tallied 29 kills and a 0.176 hitting percentage.

Haley is the only freshman to have won either an offensive or defensive player of the week honor in the Big 12 this season and the first to do so since Baylor’s Kyndal Stowers claimed the offensive nod on Sept. 12, 2023. Moreover, a first-year player hasn't won a defensive player of the week award since Oklahoma's Callie Kemohah did so on Oct. 5, 2021.

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UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.