NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 5, 2022—Delaware State junior middle blocker Alondra Maldonado was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Player of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola, the conference office announced today. Maryland Eastern Shore’s Nkemjika Ikemefuna was named Rookie of the Week and Howard senior Kayla Diaz was named Setter of the Week, while Coppin State senior Ashley Roman earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Maldonado (6-1, Jr., MB, Patillas, Puerto Rico) was a force on offense and at the net in leading the Hornets to a 3-0 record in the Delaware State Invitational this past weekend. She hit a combined .365 for the weekend, including a weekend-best .500 against Quinnipiac – a match in which she recorded 11 kills and three blocks. In two matches against Hartford, she totaled 17 kills and seven blocks, and for the weekend, Maldonado averaged 3.1 kills and 1.1 blocks per set.
Ikemefuna (5-11, Fr., OH, Richmond, Texas) recorded a combined 17 kills in two matches off the bench for the Hawks, including a 10-kill performance against Hampton on Friday. She also assisted on a pair of blocks in that match to account for 11 total points. In a straight-set win over Manhattan, Ikemefuna recorded seven kills on .600 hitting.
Diaz (5-7, Sr., S, Nanuet, N.Y.) averaged 9.8 assists per set and recorded two double-doubles in the Green Wave Classic. Her best match came against Kansas City, where she racked up a career-high 53 assists and 12 digs, three kills, and two service aces (.400 hitting). She also had a double-double against Ohio, recording 36 assists and 15 digs, while also notching four aces. Against Tulane, Diaz had 38 assists, seven digs and three aces.
Roman (5-5, Sr., L, Isabela, Puerto Rico) averaged 4.2 digs per set and was named to the Virginia Tech Invitational All-Tournament Team. She opened with 25 digs in a midweek match against Loyola (Md.), before adding 15 digs against Old Dominion, 13 against Marist and 10 against the Hokies.
Other Top Performers
Geraldyn Palacios (Coppin State) hit .533 and had a season-high 10 kills and three blocks against Marist.
Andrea Tsvetanova (Coppin State) had 40 assists, 14 digs and five blocks against Loyola (Md.), while also going for 40 assists and eight digs against Marist.
Malgorzata Andersohn (Delaware State) had 24 assists and eight digs in the Hornets’ second match against Hartford.
Jasmal Cruz (Delaware State) had 16 digs in a three-set win over Quinnipiac.
Cimone Woodard (Howard) had 12 kills and three blocks, hitting .600, against Kansas City.
Derionah Abner (Maryland Eastern Shore) hit .375 and had 10 kills against Hampton.
Makila Billingsley (Morgan State) recorded 11 kills against Rutgers and 10 against Radford.
Mackenzie Jefferson (Morgan State) recorded double-digit digs in all four matches, including a weekend-high 18 against Towson.
Alyssa Sampson (Morgan State) racked up 20 digs against Radford.
Jadyn Perkins (Morgan State) racked up eight blocks against Radford.