CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) volleyball teams competed in week five of the 2026 season.

Around the League:
HCAC Volleyball Schedule | HCAC Volleyball Standings

Athletes of the Week: 
Offensive Player of the Week:
Abbey McCoy (Indianapolis, Ind.) Hanover College | Outside Hitter/Right Side | Senior - Abbey McCoy and Hanover posted a 2-0 week defeating both Asbury and Franklin in straight sets. McCoy charted a team-high 28 kills averaging 4.67 kills per set. She also added three service aces. In the contest against Franklin, she recorded a game-high 15 kills and combined for 19 points.

Defensive Player of the Week:
Madison Schicker (Fishers, Ind.) Hanover College | Libero | Junior - Madison Schicker helped lead Hanover to two straight-set victories over Asbury and Franklin. The junior had 31 digs averaging 5.17 digs per set. She also had five assists and four service aces.

Notable Performances:
Offense:

• Jayda Lanham (Venice, Fla.) Anderson University | Outside Hitter/Right Side | Junior - Jayda Lanham produced 4.25 kills per set, 0.5 service aces per set and a .238 hitting percentage during Wednesday's match against Earlham.
• Nashaliz Garcia (Naguabo, Puerto Rico) Berea College | Middle Blocker | Junior - Nashaliz Garcia spearheaded the Berea attack with impressive efficiency and net presence throughout the week. Garcia consistently proved to be Berea's top offensive weapon, delivering high-volume output while maintaining a strong hitting percentage across all matches. In addition to her standout attacking, she continued to anchor the front line by adding significant block totals and well-rounded stat lines to power the Berea offense.
• Aaliyah West (Marysville, Ohio) Bluffton University | Outside Hitter | Freshman - Aaliyah West led Bluffton to a 1-1 week, including a road victory over rival Berea College. She hit .254 with 26 kills for a 3.25 kills per set average. West was also in on three blocks and added four digs. The freshman powered the Bluffton attack with a match-high 17 kills against the Mountaineers on Saturday.
• Caylee Brandes (Moline, Ill.) Earlham College | Outside Hitter | Senior - Caylee Brandes led Earlham with 50 total kills and 4.17 kills per set with a .279 attack percentage. Brandes also scored five blocks.
• Morgan Howard (South Whitley, Ind.) Manchester University | Setter | Senior - Morgan Howard sparked the Manchester offense this week. She recorded five kills, one service ace, and 13 assists, contributing 6.0 points against Huntington on Monday. Howard delivered another five kills and 26 assists, totaling 8.0 points in a victory over Transylvania on Saturday. Howard accumulated a total of 10 kills, 39 assists, and 14 points over the two games during the week.
• Sydney Doty (Mariemont, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Middle | Junior - Sydney Doty led Mount St. Joseph to a four-set win over Rose-Hulman to open HCAC play on Saturday. In the match, she had a season-high 15 kills with an outstanding .370 hitting percentage. She also delivered a pair of service aces and was responsible for 17.5 points in the match.
• Greta Carlson (Austin, Texas) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Outside Hitter | Sophomore - Greta Carlson led Rose-Hulman in its 3-1 loss to Mount St. Joseph to open conference play. Carlson totaled a team-high 20 kills in the match with a .315 hitting percentage.

Defense:

• Taylor Bock (Columbia City, Ind.) Anderson University | Middle Hitter | Sophomore - Taylor Bock recorded 1.25 blocks per set during Wednesday's match with Earlham.
• Camila Vargas Rivera (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) Berea College | Libero | Sophomore - Camila Vargas Rivera anchored the Berea defense following a seamless transition into the primary defensive role this week. Highlighting her standout week, Vargas Rivera set a career-high with 31 digs in a stellar 3-2 victory over Wilmington College. In addition to securing the back row, Vargas Rivera applied constant pressure from the baseline, contributing multiple service aces to round out a dominant week.
• Saniyah Terry (Macomb, Mich.) Bluffton University | Libero | Junior - Saniyah Terry moved into her new role as the libero this week and she did work with 40 digs, averaging 5.0 digs per set. She also ripped nine aces across eight sets. The junior led all Bluffton players with a career-best 27 digs at Berea and she added a career-high seven service aces, helping the Beavers open Heartland Conference play with a five-set victory.
• Madison Bizjak (San Diego, Calif.) Earlham College | Libero | Senior  - Madison Bizjak led the Earlham back row this week with 61 digs for an average of 5.08 digs per set. The Quaker libero also served three aces.
• Kyana Martinez (Kendallville, Ind.) Manchester University | Outside Hitter | Junior - Kyana Martinez anchored the Manchester defense this week. She recorded one solo block and three total blocks against Huntington on Monday and contributed one dig, one solo block, and one total block in a win against Transylvania on Saturday. The junior accumulated a total of two solo blocks and four total blocks over the two-game span.
• Katie Rolf (Fort Mitchell, Ky.) Mount St. Joseph University | Defensive Specialist | Senior - Katie Rolf was outstanding on Saturday in Mount St. Joseph’s 3-1 win at Rose-Hulman. She led the team with 17 digs, averaging 4.25 per set.
• Shae Clements (San Antonio, Texas) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Outside Hitter | Sophomore - Shae Clements was the defensive standout for Rose-Hulman in its loss to Mount St. Joseph, 3-1. Clements led the team with 25 digs in the match, averaging 6.25 digs per set.

2026 Athlete of the Week Reports:
Week 1 (Week ending Sept. 6)
Week 2 (Week ending Sept. 13)
Week 3 (Week ending Sept. 20)
Week 4 (Week ending Sept. 27)
Week 5 (Week ending Oct. 4)