Women's Volleyball

SAA Volleyball Report - Oct. 13, 2025

CANTON, Ga.  – Bietz and Rodriguez take week seven Southern Athletic Association Athlete of the Week honors.
 
Around the SAA:
SAA Volleyball Schedule/Results
SAA Volleyball Standings
SAA Volleyball Stats
2025 SAA Volleyball Tournament
 
Athletes of the Week:
Offense:
Syd Bietz | Centre | JR | Versailles, KY – Syd Bietz had an outstanding statistical week for Centre volleyball across three games. To start the week, Bietz had a game high 12 kills (4 per set) while hitting .500 against #2 East Texas Baptist, a career high in single game hitting percentage in which she recorded double digit kills. Two days later against #11 Trinity, Bietz had 18 kills (6 per set), representing her career high in kills in a three-set match. Bietz capped off the week with 22 kills (5.5 per set) against Southwestern, tying her career high in kills for a four-set match while also hitting .408 for the match.
 
Defense:
Izzy Rodriguez | Southwestern | SO | Houston, TX – Sophomore libero Izzy Rodriguez anchored the Pirates’ defense during an undefeated 3-0 week, totaling 64 digs, 12 assists, and three service aces from October 8–12. Rodriguez averaged an impressive 5.3 digs per set, showcasing elite consistency and court coverage throughout the weekend. She recorded 30 digs in a five-set thriller against Texas Lutheran, added 14 digs against Sewanee, and closed the week with 20 digs in the Pirates’ win over Centre. Rodriguez’s steady passing and relentless defensive effort were instrumental in the Pirates’ perfect weekend performance.
 

 Notable Performances:
Offense
  • Keira Kruk | Berry | JR | Naples, FL – Keira dominated against Millsaps with 13 kills (.440 hitting percentage), 2 assists, and 8 digs in a 3-0 win against the Majors. That masterclass was followed by another strong showing in a 3-1 win over Rhodes, where she topped her kill total against Millsaps with 17 (.279 hitting percentage), 2 block assists, and 12 digs. Her impact as an emotional leader also played a huge role in the two victories. 
  • Ally Baer | Millsaps | SR | Pace, FL – Millsaps volleyball senior middle Ally Baer helped the Majors to a 2-1 conference week. She posted a .337 hitting percentage, 37 kills, nine digs, five blocks, five aces, two assists and 44.5 points. The Majors bested Rhodes and Oglethorpe and fell to No. 14 Berry.
  • Ella Hughes | Oglethorpe | FR | Columbus, GA – Oglethorpe freshman Ella Hughes posted back-to-back solid matches despite unfavorable results this weekend for the Stormy Petrels. She put up a career high 11 kills in a four-set match Saturday at Rhodes before following it up with nine kills in five sets at Millsaps. Hughes played a major part in Oglethorpe pushing the latter match the distance as the Petrels nearly picked up the road win. Hughes only committed one error on 40 swings across the two matches, posting a weekend attack percentage of .475.
  • Caroline Short | Rhodes | FR | Brookhaven, GA – Caroline Short led the Rhodes attack over the weekend, delivering a dominant performance that fueled the Lynx offense in both matches. Against Oglethorpe, Short tallied a match-high 18 kills on .325 hitting, adding 11 digs and 2 aces for 21.5 total points in a 3–1 win. She followed with another strong outing versus Berry, posting 10 kills and 16 digs, helping Rhodes push the nationally ranked Vikings to four sets. Across the two-match stretch, Short totaled 28 kills, 27 digs, and 4 aces, averaging 3.5 kills per set while hitting an efficient .241clip—anchoring the Lynx attack with consistency and power from the left side.
  • Tatum Ahrens | Southwestern | FR | Austin, TX –Freshman outside hitter Tatum Ahrens delivered a standout performance to lead the Pirates to a 3-0 week, totaling 47 kills, 5 service aces, 48 digs, and 3 blocks from October 8–12. Ahrens averaged 3.9 kills and 4.0 digs per set, proving to be a key six-rotation contributor on both offense and defense. She tallied 19 kills in a five-set win over Texas Lutheran, added 11 kills against Sewanee, and led the team with 17 kills in the Pirates’ victory over Centre. Ahrens’ efficient attacking and all-around impact were crucial in fueling the Pirates’ undefeated weekend.
  • Connelley McWilliams | Trinity | JR | Austin, TX – McWilliams led #11 Trinity to a pair of SAA wins over the weekend, defeating Centre College 3-0 on Saturday before taking down Sewanee in a hard-fought 3-1 victory on Sunday afternoon. As a right-side hitter, she averaged 2.14 kills per set and led the team with a .412 hitting percentage across the two matches. McWilliams finished the weekend with 15 total kills and eight blocks, picking up 10 kills and six blocks in the win over Sewanee to close out the week.


Defense
  • Andrea Hurt | Berry | JR | Columbus, GA – Hurt's presence on the backline was on full display this past weekend with 9 digs and 3 assists in a 3-setter against Millsaps and 24 digs and 3 assists in a 4-setter against Rhodes. From her libero position, she continues to anchor and quarterback the Viking defensive rotations. 
  • Sandy Bourgeois | Millsaps | JR | Luling, LA – Millsaps volleyball junior libero Sandy Bourgeois was stellar defensively in helping the Majors to a 2-1 conference week. She totaled 68 digs, adding nine assists and two aces. The Majors bested Rhodes and Oglethorpe — where Bourgeois posted a season-high 30 digs — while also falling to No. 14 Berry.
  • Olivia Wiseman | Rhodes | JR | Lafayette, CA – Libero Olivia Wiseman was the backbone of the Lynx defense this weekend, recording an impressive 44 total digs across two matches while maintaining elite serve-receive consistency. She posted 11 digs against Oglethorpe to help Rhodes control tempo in a key conference win, then followed with a standout 22-dig performance versus Berry, one of the SAA’s top offenses. Wiseman added 4 service aces on the weekend and delivered a perfect reception percentage in the Oglethorpe match. Her court coverage, anticipation, and leadership were instrumental in keeping the Lynx competitive throughout both contests.
  • Taylor Starr | Trinity | SO | Southlake, TX – Starr led 11th-ranked Trinity to a pair of SAA wins over the weekend, sweeping Centre College 3-0 on Saturday, and then battling to a 3-1 win over Sewanee on Sunday afternoon. She averaged 2.14 blocks per set in the two matches, which is nearly double her season average (1.26). Starr tallied an impressive 15 blocks overall, including a season-high 10 blocks in the win over Sewanee. She also added 10 kills and posted a .364 hitting percentage to average 17.5 points per game as well. 
 

2025 Volleyball Report Archive (AOW Offense/Defense)
Week One (Sept. 2) – Madie Whitehead/Izzy Rodriguez
Week Two (Sept. 8) – Regan Whatley/Olivia Wiseman
Week Three (Sept. 15) – Ally Baer/Izzy Rodriguez
Week Four (Sept. 22) – Regan Whatley/Sophia Caruso
Week Five (Sept. 29) - Marissa Drange/Jenna Rodriguez
Week Six (Oct. 6) - Madie Whitehead/Andrea Hurt
 
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