NEW ORLEANS — The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference has expanded its weekly women's volleyball awards from one to three in 2015, and a pair of Xavier University of Louisiana seniors are beneficiaries in the initial week.
The GCAC announced the awards Tuesday. Xavier's Darian Harris is Defender of the Week, and Franziska Pirkl is Setter of the Week. Both were All-GCAC in 2014 — Pirkl has been on the first team three times — but this is the first time for either to win a weekly award.
Harris, a libero/defensive specialist from Gretna, La., and a graduate of McGehee School, picked up where she left off last season, when she led the Gold Nuggets' GCAC championship team in digs. Harris reached double figures in digs in all four matches of the season-opening Big Easy Blastoff and twice had 19 digs. She helped Xavier rank 10th in the NAIA in digs per set through Saturday's reported matches. Through Monday, Harris ranked 35th nationally with 5.0 digs per set.
Pirkl, a setter from Munich, Germany, and a graduate of Theodolinden Gymnasium, produced her most-ever assists in a three-set match — 42 Saturday in a victory against Faulkner. Pirkl led the Big Easy Blastoff with 11.2 assists per set. She produced a double-double — 37 assists and 16 digs — against Mobile, which received votes in the NAIA preseason coaches poll. Pirkl ranked seventh in the NAIA through Monday in assists per set.
The NAIA also has expanded its weekly volleyball awards to three. Those honors will be given starting next week.
Next for the Gold Nuggets (2-2) will be four matches in the Mariner Invitational at Brunswick, Ga. They'll play Friday at 9 a.m. EDT against Bethel (Ind.) and 1 p.m. against NAIA No. 20 Coastal Georgia, then Saturday at 9 a.m. against Martin Methodist and 5 p.m. against Bryan. The next XU home match will start at 7 p.m. Monday against Talladega in the GCAC opener at tthe Convocation Center.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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