BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Colgate and Lafayette split the Patriot League Volleyball weekly awards as the League announced the accolades on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Colgate senior outside hitter Alli Lowe earned player of the week honors for the first time this season, while Lafayette freshman outside hitter Abby Nieporte was named rookie of the week for the first time this season.
 
Army West Point sophomore middle blocker Paige Fixemer and freshman setter Diana Ethridge, Bucknell freshman libero Jordan Hardy, Lafayette sophomore setter Alyssa Vitale, and Navy senior opposite Avery Stowell received honorable mentions.
 
Colgate Clinches Regular-Season Title and No. 1 seed in Patriot League Tournament
With wins over American and Navy, the Raiders have clinched the regular-season champions title, the number one spot in the Patriot League Tournament, and hosting responsibilities. Colgate's record moves to 13-2, two wins above the No. 2 seeded Black Knights. The semifinal matches for the Patriot League Volleyball Tournament will be held on November 20, followed by the championship game on November 21 in Hamilton, N.Y.
 
Current Standings

	PL	Pct.	Overall	Pct.
Colgate*!	13-2	0.867	16-8	0.667
Army*	11-4	0.733	17-7	0.708
Lafayette*	11-4	0.633	14-9	0.609
American*	10-5	0.667	16-12	0.571
Navy*	8-7	0.538	12-12	0.500
Loyola*	7-7	0.500	15-10	0.600
Lehigh	3-12	0.200	7-19	0.269
Bucknell	3-12	0.200	7-17	0.292
Holy Cross	1-14	0.067	2-22	0.077

* Clinched a berth into the Patriot League Championship
! Regular-season champions
 
Upcoming Schedule
Tuesday, November 9
Pittsburgh at American, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
 
Friday, November 12
Bucknell at Loyola, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
 
Saturday, November 13
Colgate at Loyola, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
Navy at Lafayette, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
Army at American, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
Holy Cross at Lehigh, 5 p.m.
 
Player of the Week
Alli Lowe, Colgate, Sr., OH, Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville
*Lowe was a key player in a pair of Colgate wins this weekend, posting 23 kills, 16 digs, and eight blocks against American and Navy.
*The senior outside hitter's efforts helped Colgate clinch its first regular-season title since 2012.
*She posted a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs in a 3-0 sweep of American.
* In the Raiders 3-1 triumph over Navy, Lowe tallied 13 kills, eight blocks, and six digs.
 
Rookie of the Week
Abby Nieporte, Lafayette, Fr., OH, Boca Raton, Fla./Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches
*Nieporte tallied back-to-back double-digit kill performances in Lafayette's 2-0 weekend.
*In the 3-0 sweep over rival Lehigh, Nieporte recorded a season-best 15 kills.
*She followed that up with 12 kills and two aces in the 3-0 sweep of Bucknell.
 
Honorable Mentions
Paige Fixemer, Army West Point, So., MB, Omaha, Neb./Millard South
*Fixemer finished the weekend with 19 kills, recording 12 against Navy with a .444 hitting percentage.
 
Diana Ethridge, Army West Point, Fr., S, Chandler, Ariz./ Hamilton
*Ethridge finished the weekend with two double-doubles. She recorded 31 assists and 11 digs against Navy and 25 assists and 10 digs against Loyola.
 
Jordan Hardy, Bucknell, Fr., L, Winter Park, Fla./Trinity Preparatory School
*Hardy totaled 50 digs in eight sets over the weekend. She posted a career-high 38 digs on Friday, helping the Bison defeat Lehigh in five sets.
 
Alyssa Vitale, Lafayette, So., S, Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne
*Vitale helped lead the Leopards to a pair of wins over Lehigh and Bucknell. She recorded 34 assists and nine digs versus Lehigh, followed by 32 assists and 11 digs against the Bison.
 
Avery Stowell, Navy, Sr., Opp, Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza
*Stowell totaled a team-high 17 kills in Navy's 3-1 win at Army, which was the first victory by the Mids over the Black Knights in a match played at West Point in seven seasons.
 
Past Winners
Player
8.31 – Katie Forsythe, Loyola Maryland
9.7 – Paige Fixemer, Army West Point
9.14 – Leanna Deegan, Lafayette
9.21 – Kacy Sekunda, Loyola Maryland
9.28 – Leanna Deegan, Lafayette
10.5 – Leanna Deegan, Lafayette
10.12 – Julia Kurowski, Colgate
10.19 – Zeynep Uzen, American
10.26 – Zeynep Uzen, American
11.2 – Zeynep Uzen, American
 
Rookie
8.31 – Diana Ethridge, Army West Point
9.7 – Megan Schulte, Lehigh
9.14 – Kacy Sekunda, Loyola Maryland
9.21 – Kacy Sekunda, Loyola Maryland
9.28 – Kacy Sekunda, Loyola Maryland
10.5 – Megan Schulte, Lehigh
10.12 – Diana Ethridge, Army West Point
10.19 – Esma Sipahi, American
10.26 – Jordan Hardy, Bucknell
11.2 – Diana Ethridge, Army West Point
 

ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.