BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Navy collected two of the three Patriot League women’s volleyball weekly awards, presented by Credit Union One, when the League office announced the honors on Tuesday. American received the remaining weekly honor.

Navy senior middle blocker Ava Toppin collected both Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week honors after totaling 23 kills on a .442 hitting percentage and 14 blocks in a 1-1 weekend for the Mids.

For the second straight week and sixth time this season, American freshman outside hitter Sophie Dufour was named Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Rookie of the Week. The Frankfort, Ky. native totaled 31 kills on a .464 hitting percentage and 23 digs in a 2-0 weekend for the Eagles.

Honorable mentions went to American sophomore libero Bella Marrero, Army West Point freshman middle blocker Corrine Blackburn, senior outside hitter Chloe Murakami and sophomore defensive specialist Nicole Stroud, Colgate junior outside hitter Milan Bayless and senior middle blocker Maddie Rudolph.

The Patriot League women’s volleyball players of the week are selected in a vote by League head coaches, who are not eligible to vote for their own student-athletes.

2025 Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Standings (through Oct. 14)

School	PL	PL Pct.	Overall	Overall Pct.
Colgate	8-0	1.000	13-5	.722
American	7-1	.875	14-4	.778
Army West Point	6-2	.750	12-5	.706
Bucknell	4-4	.500	7-10	.412
Lehigh	3-5	.375	9-8	.529
Navy	3-5	.375	7-10	.412
Loyola Maryland	2-6	.250	4-13	.235
Lafayette	2-6	.250	4-14	.222
Holy Cross	1-7	.125	6-16	.273

ONLINE SCHEDULE | ONLINE STATS

Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Player & Defensive Player of the Week
Ava Toppin, Navy, Sr., Middle Blocker, Carolina Beach, N.C./Green Level
*Toppin finished with 23 kills on a .442 hitting percentage and 16 total blocks in a 1-1 weekend for Navy.
*In the Mids’ five-set win over Bucknell, the senior had a career-high 15 kills on a .583 hitting percentage to go along with 11 blocks, which is tied for the third most by a Mid in a match since 1995.
*The Carolina Beach, N.C. native ranks third in the Patriot League in total blocks (70) and hitting percentage (.347).

Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Rookie of the Week
Sophie Dufour, American, Fr., Outside Hitter, Frankfort, Ky./Franklin County
*Dufour, the reigning Rookie of the Week, totaled 31 kills on a .464 hitting percentage and 23 digs in American’s 2-0 weekend.
*The freshman notched her fifth double-double of the year with a season-high 20 kills and 14 digs in the Eagles’ four-set win over Holy Cross.
*The Frankfort, Ky. native ranks second in the Patriot League in kills (245), kills per set (3.89), points (278.5) and points per set (4.42) as well as eighth in hitting percentage (.282) and ninth in service aces per set (0.33).

Honorable Mentions
Bella Marrero, American, So., Libero, Burbank, Calif./Campbell Hall
*Marrero totaled 30 digs, nine assists and five service aces for American in victories over Lafayette and Holy Cross. In the four-set win over the Crusaders, the sophomore had 18 digs, five assists and four aces.
*The Burbank, Calif. native ranks second in the Patriot League in digs per set (4.60).

Corrine Blackburn, Army West Point, Fr., Middle Blocker, Alexandria, Ky./St. Henry District
*Blackburn finished with a team-high eight blocks to go with 11 kills on a .391 hitting percentage in Army West Point’s 2-0 weekend.
*The freshman delivered eight kills on a .438 hitting percentage and five blocks in a four-set win over Loyola Maryland.  

Chloe Murakami, Army West Point, Sr., Outside Hitter, Chandler, Ariz./Basha
*Murakami finished with 36 kills (4.86 kills per set), 21 digs (3.0 digs per set), three blocks and three service aces in a 2-0 weekend for Army West Point.
*The senior recorded a double-double in a sweep of Bucknell with a career-high 20 kills to go with 15 digs.
*The Chandler, Ariz. native ranks third in the Patriot League in kills (225), kills per set (3.57), points (250.5) and points per set (3.98).

Nicole Stroud, Army West Point, So., Defensive Specialist, Fort Worth, Texas/Fort Worth Christian
*Stroud registered 43 digs (6.14 digs per set) and a 1.000 reception percentage across Army West Point’s wins over Bucknell and Loyola Maryland.
*The sophomore posted a career-high 31 digs in a four-set victory over the Greyhounds, which is the most by a Patriot League student-athlete in a single match this season.

Milan Bayless, Colgate, Jr., Outside Hitter, San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic
*Bayless led Colgate to a 2-0 weekend with 32 kills on a .329 hitting percentage, eight digs and seven blocks.
*The San Diego, Calif. native had 14 kills and five digs at Bucknell on Friday before registering 18 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and five blocks in a sweep at Lehigh.
*The reigning Patriot League Player of the Year leads the League in kills (274), kills per set (4.08), points (318.5) and points per set (4.75).

Maddie Rudolph, Colgate, Sr., Middle Blocker, West Chester, Pa./Bishop Shanahan
*Rudolph, the reigning Defensive Player of the Week, helped the Raiders to a 2-0 weekend with 12 kills on a .462 hitting percentage, 13 blocks, three digs and a service ace.

Player of the Week
9.2 – Salme Adeele Hollas, American, So., OH
9.9 – Alysia Fingall, Lehigh, Jr., OH
9.16 – Sidney Shaffer, Bucknell, Jr., MB
9.23 – Milan Bayless, Colgate, Jr., OH
9.30 – Chloe Murakami, Army West Point, Sr., OH
10.7 – Milan Bayless, Colgate, Jr., OH
10.14 – Ava Toppin, Navy, Sr., MB

Defensive Player of the Week
9.2 – Bella Marrero, American, So., L
9.9 – Sophia Bond, Lehigh, So., DS/L
9.16 – Lal Akin, Colgate, Jr., MB
9.23 – Cameron Lloyd, Bucknell, Jr., L
9.30 – Sophia Bond, Lehigh, So., DS/L
10.7 – Maddie Rudolph, Colgate, Sr., MB
10.14 – Ava Toppin, Navy, Sr., MB

Rookie of the Week
9.2 – Ellen Gundlach, Navy, Fr. MB
9.9 – Sophie Dufour, American, Fr., OH
9.16 – Sophie Dufour, American, Fr., OH
9.23 – Sophie Dufour, American, Fr., OH
9.30 – Emma Sorensen, Holy Cross, Fr., OH
10.7 – Sophie Dufour, American, Fr., OH
10.14 – Sophie Dufour, 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.