CHARLOTTE, NC – For the second-straight week, the reigning Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division 1 Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week and Division Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week have gone on to earn NJCAA Volleyball National Player of the Week honors with Butler Community College’s Sophia Neihouse and  Johnson County’s Ava Esser both earning their first national accolades.        

Sophia Neihouse (Butler) – NJCAA D1 Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
Butler middle blocker Sophia Neihouse was a force at the net as Butler went 2-0 last week, earning a reverse-sweep victory over rival Hutchinson and a three-set sweep against Seward County. Neihouse totaled 17 block assists across both matches, including seven against Hutchinson and a season-high 10 three days later against Seward County.  The sophomore also added consistent offensive production, recording seven kills in each match for a total of 14 on 32 attacks. With these wins, the Grizzlies have now claimed seven of their last eight matches, including four straight victories.

Ava Esser (Johnson County) - NJCAA D2 Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week
Freshman outside/right-side hitter Ava Esser recorded back-to-back double-doubles in kills and digs to help power the Cavaliers to a pair of conference sweeps last week. Over the two victories, Esser hit .455 with 24 kills, averaging 4.17 per set, along with 21 digs and 11 blocks. In a 3-0 home victory against Coffeyville, Esser finished with 14 kills, a .458 kill percentage, and 11 digs. Esser nearly posted a triple-double, finishing with seven blocks. On Friday night in another 3-0 home win over Highland, Esser's line was 11 kills, a .450 kill percentage, 10 digs, and four blocks.