Shepard, Hampson Named Athletes of the Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Emporia State's Arica Shepard and Washburn's Kate Hampson have been named MIAA Volleyball Student-Athletes of the Week for the week of Oct. 20-24 as selected by a conference SID panel. It is the fifth hitter of the week award this season for Shepard and the third specialist of the week honor for Hampson.

MIAA VOLLEYBALL HITTER OF THE WEEK
Arica Shepard, OH, Emporia State
Shepard averaged a double-double with 4.60 kills per set and 4.50 digs per set. The senior from Rossville, Kan., hit .362 over the final two matches of the weekend. Shepard had two service aces and two blocks. Against then-No. 19 Truman, she was the only Hornet in double figure kills with 16 to go along with 18 digs. She had eight kills in the second set for the Hornets. Shepard also had one service ace and one block assist. Against Missouri Western, she had 18 kills and 13 digs while hitting .471 in ESU's 3-0 sweep. She had seven kills in the first set. Shepard served for four straight points to end the first set. She had nine kills for the Hornets in the second set. Shepard passed Truman's Sarah Shearman to move into fifth all-time in MIAA career kills. Against Northwest Missouri, Shepard had 12 kills to go along with 14 digs, her third straight double-double of the week. Leading 16-13 in the second set, she had four straight kills to push ESU's lead to 20-13. Overall, Shepard is on a five match double-double streak. She is already the ESU career record holder in kills, double-figure kill matches and 20+ kill matches. ESU is now 24-3, 11-2 in the MIAA.


MIAA VOLLEYBALL SPECIALIST OF THE WEEK
Kate Hampson, S, Washburn
Hampson averaged 12.00 assists per set as the Lady Blues went 3-0 on the week. The senior from Fort Collins, Colo., had a double-double in Washburn's win over NWMSU with 54 assists and 14 digs. Hampson also had three kills in that match. She had 28 assists and 13 digs with six kills and two blocks in a 3-0 win at No. 19 Truman. In WU's sweep of MWSU, Hampson had 38 assists and three kills. She moved into a tie for sixth all-time on the MIAA career assist list with 5,521.