BETHLEHEM, Pa. – American and Bucknell earned one of the two Patriot League women’s volleyball weekly awards when the League office announced the honors on Tuesday.
Bucknell junior setter Caleigh O’Connell was tabbed as the Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Player of the Week after helping the Bison extend their program-record winning streak to 12 and start 4-0 in League play for the first time since 2003.
American outside hitter Zedo Yilmaz continued to collect weekly honors as the Istanbul, Turkey native was named the Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Rookie of the Week for the third straight week and fourth time this season.
Earning honorable mentions were American senior middle blocker Lilou Stegeman, Army West Point freshman middle blocker Tatum Grimes and sophomore setter Juliette Myrick, Bucknell freshman outside hitter Bella Rodriguez, Colgate senior middle blocker Greta Hoogstra and first-year right-side hitter Tiana Owens, Holy Cross senior outside hitter Abbie Lane, Lafayette freshman right-side hitter Paige Chmura, Lehigh senior middle blocker Emily Stewart and Loyola Maryland graduate student outside hitter Lauren Link.
2024 Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Standings (through Oct. 1)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| Bucknell |
4-0 |
1.000 |
12-1 |
.923 |
| Colgate |
4-0 |
1.000 |
6-8 |
.429 |
| American |
3-1 |
.750 |
13-3 |
.812 |
| Loyola Maryland |
3-1 |
.750 |
5-8 |
.385 |
| Lehigh |
2-2 |
.500 |
9-5 |
.643 |
| Lafayette |
1-3 |
.250 |
6-7 |
.462 |
| Army West Point |
1-3 |
.250 |
5-8 |
.385 |
| Holy Cross |
0-4 |
.000 |
2-11 |
.154 |
| Navy |
0-4 |
.000 |
0-13 |
.000 |
ONLINE SCHEDULE | ONLINE STATS
Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Player of the Week
Caleigh O’Connell, Bucknell, Jr., S, Bedford, N.H./Bedford
*O’Connell paced Bucknell to a 2-0 weekend with wins over Lafayette (3-0) and Lehigh (3-1) as the junior totaled 88 assists (12.57 per set), 30 digs (4.29 per set), five kills, and two blocks. She dished out 44 assists in a sweep of the Leopards on Friday night before registering a double-double with 44 assists and a career-high 22 digs against the Mountain Hawks.
*O’Connell and the Bison started 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 2003.
*The Bedford, N.H. native ranks second in the Patriot League in assists (422) and assists per set (9.17
).
Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Rookie of the Week
Zedo Yilmaz, American, Fr., OH, Istanbul, Turkey/Kemerburgaz Okyanus
*Yilmaz averaged 4.43 kills per set and 2.86 digs in a 1-1 week for American, which featured a sweep of Holy Cross on Saturday.
*The freshman recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 12 digs in a 3-1 loss at Colgate on Friday. Yilmaz followed it up with 20 kills, eight digs, and two blocks while hitting .600 against the Crusaders.
*The Istanbul, Turkey native leads the Patriot League in kills (206), points (241), and aces (21) while ranking second in points per set (3.95), tied for third in kills per set (3.38), and eighth in assists per set (0.34).
Honorable Mention
Lilou Stegeman, American, Sr., MB, Lutz, Fla./George Steinbrenner
*Stegeman averaged 3.14 kills per set and 1.14 blocks while hitting .545 in a 1-1 week for American.
*The senior posted 12 kills and hit .474 in a 3-1 loss at Colgate before recording 10 kills, seven blocks, and a .643 hitting percentage in a 3-0 sweep at Holy Cross.
*The Lutz, Fla. native leads the Patriot League in hitting percentage (.395), while ranking third in blocks (60) and seventh in blocks per set (0.98).
Tatum Grimes, Army West Point, Fr., MB, Olathe, Kan./Saint Thomas Aquinas
*Grimes finished a 1-1 week for Army with 18 kills (1.80 per set), 13 total blocks (1.30 per set), three digs, and a .306 hitting percentage.
*In the Black Knights’ five-set win over Navy, the freshman totaled nine kills and five blocks before recording nine kills and eight blocks against Loyola Maryland on Saturday.
*The Olathe, Kan. native ranks tied for first in the Patriot League in solo blocks (12), second in total blocks (63), and fourth in blocks per set (1.21).
Juliette Myrick, Army West Point, So., S, St. Louis, Mo./Eureka
*Myrick totaled 73 assists, 18 kills on a .220 hitting percentage, 29 digs, five blocks, and three aces in a 1-1 week for Army. In Friday’s 3-2 win over Navy, the sophomore finished with 34 assists, 15 digs, nine kills, and three blocks. She then dished out a season-high 39 assists against Loyola Maryland, along with nine kills and 14 digs.
*The St. Louis, Mo. native is third in the Patriot League in assists (326) and assists per set (6.04).
Bella Rodriguez, Bucknell, Fr., OH, San Antonio, Texas/Antonian College Prep
*In a 2-0 weekend for Bucknell, which saw the Bison set their longest win streak in program history (12), Rodriguez totaled 16 digs (2.29 per set), three assists and two aces.
Greta Hoogstra, Colgate, Sr., MB, Elmhurst, Ill./Timothy Christian
*Hoogstra helped Colgate to wins over American (3-1) and Navy (3-0) as the senior middle blocker posted 12 kills (1.71 per set) with a .500 hitting percentage to go along with nine blocks (1.29 per set). She had seven kills and six block assists while hitting .600 in the Raiders’ 3-1 victory over American on Friday night before tallying five kills and two blocks against Navy.
Tiana Owens, Colgate, Fy., RS, El Cajon, Calif./Cathedral Catholic
*In a 2-0 weekend for Colgate, Owens compiled 12 kills (1.71 per set), eight digs (1.14 per set), and seven blocks (1.00 per set) with a .320 hitting percentage in victories over American (3-1) and Navy (3-0).
*The first-year dominated in the Raiders’ sweep of Navy on Saturday, recording nine kills against no errors with an .818 hitting percentage.
Abbie Lane, Holy Cross, Sr., OH, Weatherford, Texas/Weatherford
*Lane posted a team-high 28 kills (4.00 per set), along with 16 digs (2.29 per set) and three blocks in a two-match week for Holy Cross. The senior paced the Crusaders with 16 kills and nine digs against Loyola Maryland and recorded 12 kills against American to move into 10th all-time in program history with 734 career kills.
*The Weatherford, Texas native ranks 10th in the Patriot League in points (111) and points per set (3.36).
Paige Chmura, Lafayette, Fr., RS, Rogers, Minn./Rogers
*Chmura recorded 11 kills, four block assists, one assist, one dig, and a .266 hitting percentage in a two-match week for Lafayette. The freshman totaled seven kills, hit .400, and added four blocks against Bucknell on Saturday.
Emily Stewart, Lehigh, Sr., MB, Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers
*Stewart tallied 27 kills (2.70 per set) and 16 blocks (1.60 per set) while hitting .431 in a 2-1 week for the Mountain Hawks.
*The senior recorded eight kills with a .571 hitting percentage and two blocks in a 3-0 sweep of Rider and totaled 13 kills, hitting .667, and eight blocks in a straight-set victory over Lafayette. The Fort Myers, Fla. native finished the weekend with six kills and six blocks in a 3-1 loss at Bucknell.
*Stewart maintains her League lead in blocks (67) and blocks per set (1.31) and ranks second in hitting percentage (.371)
Lauren Link, Loyola Maryland, Gr., OH, Shakopee, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels
*Link led Loyola Maryland to a 2-0 week as the graduate student averaged 4.44 kills and 2.11 digs per set while hitting .279 in road victories over Army West Point and Holy Cross.
*The Shakopee, Minn. native recorded her eighth double-double of the season against the Crusaders with 19 kills and 12 digs before following it up with 21 kills, seven digs, and three aces versus the Black Knights.
*Link leads the Patriot League in kills per set (3.71) and points per set (4.17) while ranking second in kills (193), second in points (217), and tied for sixth in aces (18).
Player of the Week
9.3 – Gracie Reisman, Holy Cross, Jr., RS
9.10 – Jordan Hardy, Bucknell, Sr., L
9.17- Adelina Berisha, American, Jr., OH
9.24 – Milan Bayless, Colgate, So., OH
10.1 – Caleigh O’Connell, Bucknell, Jr., S
Rookie of the Week
9.3 – Zedo Yilmaz, American, Fr., OH
9.10 – Elise Sterling, American, Fr., MB
9.17 – Zedo Yilmaz, American, Fr., OH
9.24 – Zedo Yilmaz, American, Fr., OH
10.1 – Zedo Yilmaz, American, Fr., OH
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 who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.