Dunlap, Schwab Earn NEC Honors
Junior Rachel Dunlap and freshman Brooke Schwab were honored by the NEC on Monday.
Central Connecticut volleyball's middle duo of junior Rachel Dunlap and freshman Brooke Schwab earned Molten/Northeast Conference weekly awards on Monday afternoon. Dunlap, was named defensive player of the week and Schwab was tabbed as the rookie of the week.
Dunlap registered 20.0 total blocks and 12 kills over the two victories. On offense, she hit .455, terminating 12 balls on 22 attempts, while limiting herself to two attack errors on the week.
Against Sacred Heart, Dunlap tallied two solo and 12 block assists in the five-set thriller. The 14 blocks recorded marked a single-match high in the NEC this season and the most for a Blue Devil since the rally-scoring era (2008). The Blue Devils tallied 21 total blocks against the Pioneers which is the most team blocks for CCSU in a match since November of 2010 and once again an NEC single-match best in 2013.
On Sunday, Dunlap turned in a near-flawless hitting performance with an impressive .727 attack percentage. The senior connected for eight kills on 11 attempts and did not commit an attack error. Dunlap added six block assists at the net.
Schwab continued her strong play in the middle, posting 14 kills and 11 blocks across eight sets and two victories.
In Saturday's five-set win over Sacred Heart, Brooke played a crucial role, collecting six kills and seven total blocks. The Oregon native hit .417 for the match, and limited herself to just one error.
On Sunday in a 3-0 defeat of Fairleigh Dickinson, Schwab posted eight kills on 17 attempts for a .353 hitting percentage. She also added four block assists. Schwab averaged 1.75 kills and an impressive 1.38 blocks per set on the week.
The defensive player of the week award is the fifth this season for Dunlap. Schwab's rookie of the week honor is her fourth. She also has a pair of defensive player of the week awards to her credit.
The Blue Devils return to action on Saturday when they host LIU Brooklyn at Detrick Gym. The showdown between the first place Blackbirds and the second place Blue Devils will have a major impact on the race for the NEC regular season title. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.