Emanuelli, Puche collect SSAC weekly honors Monday

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – For the second time this season, the Loyola Wolf Pack picked up multiple Southern States Athletic Conference weekly awards, with Belén Puche Laguna and Kala Emanuelli both receiving an honor on Monday. 
 

The tradition of Loyola New Orleans' excellent libero play continues with Emanuelli, as the senior earned her second SSAC Defender of the Week award after earning one two weeks ago. Puche, who's had an excellent start to the season at the setter position, becomes the second Wolf Pack student-athlete to be named the SSAC Setter of the Week. 
 

This past weekend in Florida, Emanuelli had 99 digs in 18 sets (5.5 d/s) to help Loyola go 4-1, which included a win over No. 9 St. Thomas (Fla.). The highlight of the weekend came against Warner (Fla.) for the San Juan, Puerto Rico, native. She tallied 27 digs in a three-set win over the Royals to easily surpass her career high. After starting her week with a 19-dig performance in a loss to New College of Florida on Thursday night, she recorded 22 digs against Florida College on Friday before her career-best outing against Warner. She would add 15 and 16 digs against Park (Ariz.) and St. Thomas, respectively, on Saturday. Emanuelli also had 19 assists and five service aces throughout the road trip last week. 
 

Puche, who shares the floor with Loyola's other setter Ellie Connor, had 91 assists in 18 sets (5.05 a/s). Her best performance also came against Warner, notching 25 assists in just three sets to average 8.3 per set as a 6-2-system setter. The Sevilla, Spain, native had 13 assists against NCF on Thursday and 16 against Florida College on Friday, then recorded 15 and 22 against Park and St. Thomas, respectively. Puche also had 18 service aces to bring her team-high total to 43. 
 

Emanuelli, Puche, and the Wolf Pack (9-4) will now turn their attention to Southern States Athletic Conference play beginning on Saturday in The Den against Point University (Ga.) at 1 p.m.
 

Previous Winners (Attacker, Defender, Setter)

Week 1: Isis Harink (Loyola), Kala Emanuelli (Loyola), Ellie Connor (Loyola)
Week 2: Sofia Bettini (William Carey), Jaci Drinnon (Mobile), Emma McPherson (Mobile)

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