Player of the Week
Zach Puentes, Belmont Abbey

A redshirt freshman outside hitter/opposite from Wellington, Florida, Zach Puentes finished Belmont Abbey’s two conference wins last week averaging 5.9 points, 5.0 kills and 1.9 digs per set. He hit an impressive .371 on the week. 

Puentes concluded Belmont Abbey’s four-set league win over Barton with 22 kills, seven digs, two blocks and one service ace. He hit .439 in the match. Puentes ended his efforts on the week with 13 kills, six digs, two blocks and two aces in a conference sweep of Mount Olive. 

Puentes is second in Conference Carolinas with 4.0 points per set. He is third in Conference Carolinas in kills per set at 3.4.

Specialist of the Week
Logan Taylor, North Greenville

A freshman setter from West Palm, Beach, Florida, Logan Taylor of North Greenville averaged 12.0 assists and 1.1 digs per set in two conference wins last week for the Crusaders. 

In North Greenville’s four-set league win over Mount Olive, Taylor finished his efforts with 50 assists, five digs and one ace. He closed out his week in the four-set Crusader conference win over Barton with 46 assists, four digs and three service aces. 

Taylor leads all in Conference Carolinas with 10.8 assists per set. 

2024 Conference Carolinas Men’s Volleyball Weekly Awards

Week 6 (Feb. 19, 2024)

Player of the Week: Zach Puentes, Belmont Abbey

Specialist of the Week: Logan Taylor, North Greenville

Learn more about all weekly/monthly award winners in Conference Carolinas here.

Player of the Week
Lauryn Taylor, Francis Marion

A senior forward/center from Blythewood, South Carolina, Lauryn Taylor put together one of the most historic weeks in the history of Conference Carolinas last week. In Francis Marion’s two conference games last week, Taylor averaged 20.5 points and 27.5 rebounds per game. 

In Francis Marion’s league win over North Greenville, Taylor captured an NCAA all-divisions single-game record with 44 rebounds. She also had a career-best 34 points in the victory over North Greenville.

Taylor leads all of NCAA Division II with 14.8 rebounds per game. She is the only player in the country with over 300 rebounds this season. Taylor has now claimed weekly honors from the conference seven times in the 2023-24 season. 

Defensive Player of the Week
Catherine Hendershott, Belmont Abbey

A junior guard from Knoxville, Tennessee, Catherine Hendershott of Belmont Abbey had four steals last week to go along with her 10 defensive boards on the week. Hendershott averaged 16.5 points per game in Belmont Abbey’s two league wins. 

Hendershott collected her first career double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds in a league win over Barton. She also had a steal and three assists in the game. In Belmont Abbey’s conference win over Lees-McRae, Hendershott finished her efforts with three steals to go along with 14 points, three rebounds and one assist. 

2023-24 Conference Carolinas Women’s Basketball Weekly Awards

Week 14 (Feb. 19, 2024)

Player of the Week: Lauryn Taylor, Francis Marion

Defensive Player of the Week: Catherine Hendershott, Belmont Abbey

Learn more about all weekly/monthly award winners in Conference Carolinas here.

Player of the Week
KJ Jones II, Emmanuel

A senior guard from Atlanta, Georgia, KJ Jones II collected his fifth weekly honor from Conference Carolinas by averaging 30.5 points and 5.5 assists per game in two league wins last week. He shot 52 percent (16-of-31) from the field on the week and missed just one free throw (22-of-23) in the two victories. 

Jones closed out Emmanuel’s conference win over North Greenville with 30 points, three assists, one steal and one rebound. He closed out the week with 31 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in a conference victory over Mount Olive. 

Jones leads of all of NCAA Division II with 25.8 points per game. 

Defensive Player of the Week
DJ Holloway, Belmont Abbey

A freshman guard from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, DJ Holloway finished Belmont Abbey’s two league games last week with nine steals. He averaged 15.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game to go along with his 4.5 steals per contest. 

In Belmont Abbey’s conference win over Lees-McRae, Holloway had 18 points, six rebounds, five steals, one assist and a block. He followed that up by scoring 13 to go along with four steals, three rebounds and one assist in a conference game with Barton. 

2023-24 Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Weekly Awards

Week 14 (Feb. 19, 2024)

Player of the Week: KJ Jones II, Emmanuel

Defensive Player of the Week: DJ Holloway, Belmont Abbey

Learn more about all weekly/monthly award winners in Conference Carolinas here.

Offensive Player of the Week
Paige Murphy, Emmanuel

A freshman on attack from Calgary, Alberta in Canada, Paige Murphy captured her third straight weekly honor after ending her efforts on Emmanuel’s week with 14 goals and six assists. 

In a victory over future conference rival Shorter, Murphy ended the game with eight goals and three assists. She closed out the week with six goals and three assists in a victory over Emory & Henry. 

Murphy currently leads all of NCAA Division II women’s lacrosse in points (9.25) and goals (6.75) per game. 

Defensive Player of the Week
Savannah Graves, Barton

A junior goalie from Calvert County in Maryland, Savannah Graves stuffed the stat sheet in Barton’s victory over Tiffin. 

Graves not only made six saves in the victory, but she also caused seven turnovers and collected seven ground balls. 

2024 Conference Carolinas Women's Lacrosse Weekly Awards

Week 3 (Feb. 19, 2024)

Offensive Player of the Week: Paige Murphy, Emmanuel

Defensive Player of the Week: Savannah Graves, Barton 

Learn more about all weekly/monthly award winners in Conference Carolinas here.

Offensive Player of the Week
Christian Cechini, North Greenville

A graduate student from Flemington, New Jersey, Christian Cechini of North Greenville ended two wins for the Crusaders last week with six goals and three assists. 

In North Greenville’s victory over Lincoln Memorial, Cechini finished with three goals and an assist. Cechini closed out North Greenville’s win over Coker with three goals and two assists. 

Cechini is fourth in Conference Carolinas with 4.25 points per game. 

Defensive Player of the Week
Bennett Matsler, North Greenville

A freshman from Tempe, Arizona, Bennett Matsler of North Greenville won 19 of his 21 faceoff attempts last week. 

In North Greenville’s win over Lincoln Memorial, Matsler was 9-of-11 on faceoffs. He was a perfect 10-of-10 in North Greenville’s win over Coker. In addition, Matsler also picked up five ground balls in the victory over Lincoln Memorial.

2024 Conference Carolinas Men's Lacrosse Weekly Awards

Week 3 (Feb. 19, 2024)

Offensive Player of the Week: Christian Cechini, North Greenville

Defensive Player of the Week: Bennett Matsler, North Greenville

Learn more about all weekly/monthly award winners in Conference Carolinas here.