LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced its Women's Volleyball Athletes of the Week honorees. In the West, Pitt-Johnstown's Lualis Alvarado was selected as Athlete of the Week while IUP's Lauren Valentic and California's Sophia Johnson were Co-Defensive Athletes of the Week. In the East, the East Stroudsburg duo of Anna Coulter (Athlete) and Leonor Chambel (Defensive) earned the honors.
Western Division Athlete of the Week
Lualis Alvarado
Pitt-Johnstown
Outside Hitter
Senior
San Juan, Puerto Rico / Perkiomen School
Alvarado helped Pitt-Johnstown to a 4-0 week, totaling 63 kills (4.2 per set) with a .283 hitting percentage. She also contributed with seven service aces, 26 digs, and three block assists. In a 3-0 win over Assumption last Friday, she tallied a match-high 14 kills (.324 hitting percentage), an assist, an ace, five digs, ibe block assist, and 15.5 points. In the 3-2 win over Saint Anselm, she added a match-high 24 kills, four aces, and 14 digs.
Co-Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Lauren Valentic
IUP
Middle Hitter
Fifth Year
Canonsburg, Pa. / Peters Township
Valentic was an incredible defensive presence for the Crimson Hawks as they went 4-0 on the week, totaling 25 blocks (seven solo) and averaging 1.56 blocks per set. She also contributed with 12 digs and 23 kills (.413 hitting percentage.) In IUP's 3-2 win over Ashland, she totaled 10 blocks and four service aces.
Co-Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Sophia Johnson
California
Middle Hitter / Right Side
Senior
Waynesboro, Pa. / Waynesboro
Johnson averaged 2.10 blocks and 3.40 points per set over the weekend, as California posted a 2-1 record while hosting the Vulcan Invitational. She also finished with 2.30 kills per set while registering a .396 hitting percentage in three matches. Johnson opened the weekend with six kills and four blocks on Friday afternoon in a 3-0 win against Bloomsburg. Later that day, the 6-foot-1 senior set a career high with 12 blocks and added nine kills on 21 attempts in a 3-1 victory versus Point Park. The 12 blocks marked the most in a match by a Cal player since the 2006 campaign. Johnson closed the weekend with eight kills and five blocks in a 3-0 loss against Frostburg State on Saturday to give her a three-match total of 21 blocks.
Eastern Division Athlete of the Week
Anna Coulter
East Stroudsburg
Middle Blocker
Junior
Hershey, Pa. / Hershey
In a 4-0 weekend, Coulter averaged 4.20 kills per set on an efficent .410 hitting percentage to win the award for the second consecutive week. She contributed 1.53 blocks per set (23 total) and connected on five service aces. In the 3-0 sweep of St. Thomas Aquinas she tallied 16 kills with a .762 hitting percentage.
Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Week
Leonor Chambel
East Stroudsburg
Defensive Specialist / Libero
Graduate Student
Lisbon, Portugal / Escola Secundária José Gomes Ferreira
In the 4-0 week for East Stroudsburg, Chambel totaled 77 digs with just three receiving errors -- averaging 5.13 digs per set. She also chipped in with 15 assists and three service aces on the week.