Freshman Earns Two Sun Belt Weekly Honors Monday

The true freshman helped the Texas State volleyball team close out the regular season with a decisive 3-0 road sweep at UT Arlington on Nov. 9.

NEW ORLEANS – Janell Fitzgerald was tabbed both the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, the league announced Monday afternoon.

The Mansfield, Texas, native earned her first freshman of the week accolade. She also became the only rookie to earn offensive player of the week honors twice this season after also picking up the laurel on Oct. 1.

The true freshman helped the Texas State volleyball team close out the regular season with a decisive 3-0 road sweep at UT Arlington on Nov. 9.

After missing two matches due to injury, Fitzgerald returned to rip off career highs in both kills (19) and attack percentage (.692). She had just one error on 26 swings, while adding a pair of digs and blocks.

Texas State won 17 player of the week accolades this season, finishing just one shy of the league record. True freshman Emily DeWalt broke the Sun Belt’s all-time mark with 11 league plaudits. Others to win a weekly award this season were senior Madison Daigle (Defensive, Sept. 3), senior Amy Pflughaupt (Offensive, Sept. 10), and junior Cheyenne Huskey (Offensive, Sept. 17).

Next on the docket for the Bobcats (24-6, 15-1) is the 2018 Sun Belt Championship, which will be held Nov. 15-18 inside GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta. The maroon and gold have earned the No. 1 seed and will compete in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Nov. 17. They will face either No. 4 Little Rock, No. 5 UT Arlington or No. 8 Troy.

SUN BELT VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Texas State freshman outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald – Mansfield, Texas

SUN BELT VOLLEYBALL FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Texas State freshman outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald – Mansfield, Texas

SUN BELT VOLLEYBALL SETTER OF THE WEEK

Little Rock senior Taylor Lindberg – Benton, Ark.

SUN BELT VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Coastal Carolina freshman outside hitter Anett Nemeth – Pecel, Hungary