Athletes of the Week: 
Offensive Player of the Week:
Addie Atcher (Elizabethtown, Ky.) Transylvania University | Outside Hitter/Right Side | Senior - Addie Atcher recorded 24 kills with a .388 hit percentage in a 3-2 over Marietta on Friday. She followed that up with two strong performances at the Transy Invite. In a 3-2 thriller, the Pioneers defeated a top-25 team in Dubuque with Atcher recording 23 kills. The Pioneers took on another top-20 opponent in Otterbein where Atcher recorded 13 kills with a .385 hit percentage in a loss.

Defensive Player of the Week:
Madison Bizjak (San Diego, Calif.) Earlham College | Libero | Senior  - Madison Bizjak led the Earlham back line at the Hope Tournament, collecting 137 digs for an average of 6.23 per set. Bizjak also served up seven aces.

Notable Performances:
Offense:

• Lacy Rathbun (Russiaville, Ind.) Anderson University | Outside Hitter/Right Side | Junior - Lacy Rathbun averaged 3.44 kills per set and a .160 hitting percentage on the week. She smashed 21 kills in the five-set win against Baldwin Wallace as Anderson went 3-1 on the week. This included an upset reverse sweep to Baldwin Wallace. 
• Nashaliz Garcia (Naguabo, Puerto Rico) Berea College | Middle Blocker | Junior - Nashaliz Garcia logged 26 kills in the pair of matches averaging 3.71 kills per set. In a three-set non-conference matchup at Maryville, the junior carried the attack by smashing a team-high 13 kills on .500 attack efficiency. She backed up that performance on Friday during Berea's Homecoming match against Belhaven, hammering down 13 kills, while adding six block assists and four digs.
• Caylee Brandes (Moline, Ill.) Earlham College | Outside Hitter | Senior - Caylee Brandes hit a team-high 72 kills this week, averaging 3.27 per set with a .196 attack percentage. Brandes also totalled seven blocks and 19 digs.
• Bayleigh Moore (Bloomington, Ind.) Franklin College | Outside Hitter | Freshman - Bayleigh Moore had seven kills on 15 error-free swings during a midweek sweep of Trine. She then added a team-high 12 kills with two blocks in a four-set triumph at Mount St. Joseph. She finished the week with 10 kills against Marietta, hitting .304 for the week as Franklin extended their longest win streak since the 1980s to 15 matches.
• Ryleigh Plunkitt (Indianapolis, Ind.) Hanover College | Setter/Right Side | Sophomore - Ryleigh Plunkitt helped lead Hanover to a 3-1 week, including handing Baldwin Wallace its first loss of the year, winning in four sets with a game-high 21 kills. The sophomore posted a very strong weekend tallying 54 kills, averaging 4.15 kills per set. She also added 35 assists and had two service aces. Plunkitt also had 23 digs with six blocks and combined for a team-high 59.5 points.
• Alicia Simmons (Manhattan, Kan.) Manchester University | Outside Hitter | Freshman - Alicia Simmons recorded 17 kills and 17.5 points against Albion on Wednesday, 17 kills, two service aces, and 19.5 points against Saint Mary's on Saturday, 16 kills and 16.5 points in a match against Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras also on Saturday.
• Keira Ohse (Chicago, Ill.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Middle Blocker | Junior - Keira Ohse led the Rose-Hulman offense as they went 1-3 overall this week. Ohse recorded 27 kills, averaging 2.25 kills per set.

Defense:

• Taylor Bock (Columbia City, Ind.) Anderson University | Middle Hitter | Sophomore - Taylor Bock recorded 1.25 blocks per set with three solo blocks and four block assists in Anderson's five-set win against Baldwin Wallace. Anderson went 3-1 on the week including an upset reverse sweep against Baldwin Wallace. 
• Kim Busateri (Hartford, Wis.) Franklin College | Libero | Junior - Kim Busateri pulled up 46 digs in 10 sets (4.60 digs per set) during a perfect 3-0 week for Franklin. She had a season-high 20 digs in a four-set win at Mount St. Joseph and added 16 more in a sweep of Marietta, helping extend Franklin's win streak to 15 matches. Busateri also chipped in eight assists on the week.
• Madison Schicker (Fishers, Ind.) Hanover College | Libero | Junior - Madison Schicker helped Hanover to a 3-1 week, including handing Baldwin Wallace its first loss of the season. The junior finished the week with 70 digs through 13 sets. She also added 13 assists and nine service aces.
• Lily Lichtenbarger (South Bend, Ind.) Manchester University | Middle Blocker | Senior - Lily Lichtenbarger anchored the Spartan defense this week. Lichtenbarger recorded five total blocks against Albion on Tuesday, four solo blocks, and seven total blocks against Saint Mary's on Saturday, two solo blocks and five total blocks against Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras on Saturday. She totaled 17 blocks, including six solo blocks over the week.
• Shae Clements (San Antonio, Texas) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Outside Hitter | Sophomore - Shae Clements led the Rose-Hulman defense this week as the team went 1-3 overall. Clements totaled 59 digs this week, averaging 4.92 digs per set.
• Megan Helander (Louisville, Ky.) Transylvania University | Libero | Freshman - Megan Helander had a strong week of performances against two top-25 teams on a week as Transylvania went 2-2. Helander recorded 23 digs in a victory over Dubuque, 19 in a win against Marietta, 14 in a loss to Wittenberg and nine in the loss to Otterbein.

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)