Blancher wins third straight SSAC Defender of the Week award

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – For the third week in a row and fifth time this season, Loyola Wolf Pack sophomore Lola Blancher has been named the Southern States Athletic Conference Volleyball Defender of the Week. 

Blancher's fifth award ties Helene Masone and Simone Moreau for the most career SSAC weekly honors by a Loyola volleyball player. All five of Blancher's awards have come this season, also matching Masone's single-season record set during the 2020-21 campaign.

Loyola went 1-1 on a conference road trip this past weekend, falling 3-0 at Tennessee Southern on Friday before bouncing back with a 3-1 victory at Blue Mountain Christian University on Saturday. Across seven sets over the weekend, Blancher averaged 6.4 digs per set while recording eight total assists and four service aces. She also did not commit a reception error in either match.

In the loss against UT Southern, she had 18 digs, four assists, and two aces across three sets. Then, in the win at Blue Mountain, the sophomore recorded her highest dig output in an SSAC match with 27 total digs, while again adding four assists and two service aces. She's now had at least 10 digs in 16 straight matches. 

The New Orleans native has an SSAC-leading 463 digs through 25 matches, averaging 4.9 digs per set. Her 34 aces also lead the Wolf Pack this season. 

The Wolf Pack (17-8, 10-2 SSAC) will spend the remainder of the regular season at home, opening a four-match stretch in The Den with a Senior Day contest against Xavier at 6 p.m. Friday. Loyola will also welcome Andrew College this weekend, with that matchup set for noon Saturday. 
 

This season's SSAC Volleyball Player of the Week honorees

Attacker of the Week
Week 1: Marley Manning, Point
Week 2: Medney Garraux, Life
Week 3: Kaylin Johnson, Mobile
Week 4: Jakaya Smith, Faulkner
Week 5: Kennedy Campbell, Xavier
Week 6: Caroline McKinney, Loyola
Week 7: Eva Blatchford, Mobile
Week 8: Marissa Gerleman, Blue Mountain
Week 9: Kaylee Cantlin, Life
Week 10: Medney Garraux, Life
Week 11: Ashlee Kraft, Tennessee Southern

Setter of the Week
Week 1: Emily Martin, William Carey
Week 2: Emily Martin, William Carey
Week 3: Maurin Reyes, William Carey
Week 4: Kamrynn Williams, Xavier
Week 5: Olivia Kelly, Faulkner
Week 6: Emma McPherson, Mobile
Week 7: Emma McPherson, Mobile
Week 8: Chloe Painter, Point
Week 9: Vitoria Reis, Life
Week 10: Brenyn Wilbanks, Blue Mountain
Week 11: Daniela Galarza, Brewton-Parker

Defender of the Week
Week 1: Eva Blatchford, Mobile
Week 2: Abbi Williams, Blue Mountain
Week 3: Amree Patterson, Tennessee Southern
Week 4: Lola Blancher, Loyola
Week 5: Evelyn Araujo, William Carey
Week 6: Lola Blancher, Loyola
Week 7: Isis Harink, Loyola
Week 8: Abbi Williams, Blue Mountain
Week 9: Lola Blancher, Loyola
Week 10: Lola Blancher, Loyola
Week 11: Lola Blancher, Loyola 

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