KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced new volleyball athletes of the week for week seven of the 2026 season. Three new student-athletes from three different institutions earned this week’s honor with Nebraska Kearney’s Brynn Stowell named the Offensive Athlete of the Week, Pittsburg State’s Crystal Smith named the Defensive Athlete of the Week, and Central Oklahoma’s Riley Roberts named the Setter of the Week.
OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Brynn Stowell, Nebraska Kearney
Brynn Stowell helped the No. 5-ranked Lopers extend their win streak to 19 straight with back-to-back road wins against MIAA opponents last week. The junior right-side hitter averaged an MIAA-best 4.00 kills per set while hitting an MIAA-leading .437 on the week. She also added four block assists and five digs. In Nebraska Kearney’s 3-2 win over No. 7-ranked MoWest, Stowell haunted the Griffs with a game-high 21 kills and a .397 hitting percentage.
DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Crystal Smith, Pittsburg State
Crystal Smith helped the Gorillas to a 3-0 week with wins against Rockhurst (3-2), Arkansas-Fort Smith (3-0) and Northeastern State (3-0). The Jasper, Mo., native averaged 2.09 blocks, 3.36 points and 2.09 kills per set on the week to finish the week as the NCAA Division II leader in blocks per set and total blocks. Smith opened the weekend with a match-leading 12-block and 10-kill double-double while hitting .444. The Gorillas made program history against Rockhurst with Smith, Maddi LaPointe and Amariah White as the only trio to achieve a kill-block double-double in the same match. Against UAFS, Smith recorded her 12th match of the season with double-digit kills, while adding six total blocks for 13.0 points. She ended the week with five total blocks (three solo) in the sweep of the RiverHawks for her 13th match this season with five or more total blocks.
SETTER OF THE WEEK: Riley Roberts, Central Oklahoma
Riley Roberts directed the Bronchos to a pair of 3-0 sweeps last week, taking one on the road at Newman before upsetting No. 13-ranked Washburn in Edmond. The senior dished out 60 assists in six sets for an MIAA-leading 10.0 assists per set on the week. She dished out 27 assists against the Jets and had 33 against the ranked Ichabods. Roberts also collected 13 digs, 10 kills, five blocks, and one service ace in the two matches.
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Taylor Russell, Missouri Western
Taylor Russell led the No. 7 Griffons volleyball offense with 37 kills across 10 sets, averaging 3.70 kills per set while hitting an impressive .376 during a two-match homestand that featured a 3-2 victory over Fort Hays State and a 2-3 loss to No. 5 Nebraska-Kearney. Russell opened the weekend with 17 kills and zero attacking errors on 42 attempts, hitting .405 in Friday's 3-2 victory over Fort Hays State. She also contributed four blocks, including two solo stops. In the five-set thriller with No. 5 Nebraska-Kearney, Russell delivered 20 kills while hitting .349 and adding three block assists in the five-set loss. She finished the weekend with 41.5 points, averaging 4.15 points per set, along with seven total blocks.
Maddi LaPointe, Pittsburg State
Maddi LaPointe helped the Gorillas to a 3-0 week with wins against Rockhurst (3-2), Arkansas-Fort Smith (3-0) and Northeastern State (3-0). For the week, the Tulsa, Okla., native averaged 4.00 points per set, 3.18 kills at a .432 hitting percentage and 1.64 blocks. Among Division II ranks for the week, LaPointe ranked third for total blocks and 18th for blocks per set, while being second among MIAA ranks for hitting percentage and third for kills. LaPointe opened the week with a historic 21.5-point performance against Rockhurst where, alongside teammates Crystal Smith and Amariah White, they became the first trio of Gorillas in school history to record a kill-block double-double in the same match. LaPointe finished with a team-high 16 kills (.455) and 11 total blocks in the five-set win over the GLVC foe to end their 10-game winning streak. Against Northeastern State, she hit .474 with 10 kills in 19 attempts and recorded nine kills (.364) and five total blocks in the sweep against UAFS.
Ellie Spang, Nebraska Kearney
Ellie Spang averaged an MIAA-leading 5.6 digs per set on the week while helping the No. 7-ranked Lopers to a pair of MIAA road wins over the weekend. The senior libero also added an ace and five assists as Nebraska Kearney ran its win streak to 19 in a row. Spang’s weekend was highlighted by a season-best 28 digs in the Lopers’ five-set win over No. 7 MoWest.
Brailee Bogle, Emporia State
Brailee Bogle helped the Hornets to a 2-0 week with MIAA sweeps against Northeastern State and Arkansas-Fort Smith. The senior began the week with 27 assists in the Hornets' sweep over Northeastern State on Friday (Oct. 9), while also adding a trio of kills. She then followed with her best three-set performance of the season against the Lions on Saturday (Oct. 10), tallying 35 assists. Bogle totaled 62 assists in the pair of matches, putting her average at 10.33 for the week.
ALSO NOMINATED:
OFFENSE – Piper Bahr [Emporia State], Sophie Gartner [Northwest Missouri], Georgia Ahlert [Central Oklahoma], Kaelyn Kendrick [Missouri Southern]
DEFENSE – Kaelyn McDonald [Central Missouri], Taylor Rottinghaus [Washburn], Anna Weberg [Missouri Western], Kate Wells [Central Oklahoma], Miyu Tsurumaki [Emporia State], Ava Plassmeyer [Northwest Missouri], Kasey Goldberg [Missouri Southern]
SETTER – Jesa Wallace [Pittsburg State], Katelyn Diani-O’Day [Missouri Western], Ellie Eckman [Nebraska Kearney], Mya Karrick [Northwest Missouri], Brenna Weaver [Missouri Southern]
2026 MIAA VOLLEYBALL ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
WEEK ONE:
Offensive – Emma Siron, Washburn
Defensive – Ellie Spang, Nebraska Kearney
Setter – Shannon Frakes, Washburn
WEEK TWO:
Offensive – Lydia Pitts, Arkansas-Fort Smith
Defensive – Taylor Rottinghaus, Washburn
Setter – Shannon Frakes, Washburn
WEEK THREE:
Offensive – Lavra Krizanic, Emporia State
Defensive – Kaitlyn Parrott, Central Oklahoma
Setter – Riley Roberts, Central Oklahoma
WEEK FOUR:
Offensive – Carly Purdy, Nebraska Kearney
Defensive – Anna Weberg, Missouri Western
Setter – Mya Karrick, Northwest Missouri
WEEK FIVE:
Offensive – Brynne Topolski, Washburn
Defensive – Morgan Manning, Central Oklahoma
Setter – Annie Eaton, Fort Hays State
WEEK SIX:
Offensive – Ella Goodwin, Fort Hays State
Defensive – Anna Weberg, Missouri Western
Setter – Annie Eaton, Fort Hays State
WEEK SEVEN:
Offensive – Brynn Stowell, Nebraska Kearney
Defensive – Crystal Smith, Pittsburg State
Setter – Riley Roberts, Central Oklahoma