KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced its final volleyball athletes of the week in the 2026 season. Three student-athletes from three different MIAA institutions collected Week 11’s final awards with Pittsburg State’s Crystal Smith named the Offensive Athlete of the Week, Nebraska Kearney’s Ellie Spang named the Defensive Athlete of the Week, and Central Oklahoma’s Riley Roberts named the Setter of the Week.
OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Crystal Smith, Pittsburg State
Crystal Smith has been named the final MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week in the 2026 MIAA volleyball season after helping the Gorillas to a pair of wins to end the regular season and qualify for the MIAA postseason tournament with a five-set upset victory over No. 10 Missouri Western on Friday (Nov. 6) and a three-set sweep against Northwest Missouri on Saturday (Nov. 7). The Jasper, Mo., native began the weekend with a 20-kill and eight-block performance while hitting .455 to account for 24.0 points as the Gorillas upset the No. 10-ranked Griffons. Her performance against MoWest marked the third match this season with 20 kills while hitting above .450 and was the 16th match of the season with at least six total blocks recorded. The sophomore middle blocked added seven kills and five total blocks while hitting .600 from 10 attacks in the 3-0 win over the Bearcats. Overall, Smith ended the regular season with 435.5 total points (4.03 points per set) and leads all of Division II with 188 total blocks (1.74 blocks per set) to go with 314 total kills (2.91 kills per set) while hitting .386 from 570 attempts. Among Pittsburg State season ranks, Smith is currently fourth overall (third in rally score era, 2001-Present) in single-season total blocks and second for blocks per set in school history, while also becoming the first Gorilla since 2018 to accumulate over 400.0 points in a season.
DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Ellie Spang, Nebraska Kearney
Ellie Spang helped the Lopers to back-to-back sweeps over MIAA opponents last weekend as No. 6 Nebraska Kearney claimed the 2026 MIAA regular season championship with a flawless 12-0 conference record. The senior libero led the league with 6.8 digs per set over the weekend, collecting 19 in the three-set win over Missouri Southern before adding 22 in the 3-0 win over Central Missouri. Spang also recorded an ace and had seven assists on the weekend. She was also 13-for-13 in serves received.
SETTER OF THE WEEK: Riley Roberts, Central Oklahoma
Riley Roberts continued her dominant senior season running the Bronchos offense with another impressive week of play. The senior racked up 61 assists in two matches for an MIAA-leading 10.17 assists per set in back-to-back sweeps on the road in the MIAA. She also had 17 kills (2.83 kills per set) on 24 attacks for an impressive .708 hitting percentage. In the sweep of Northeastern State on Thursday (Nov. 5), Roberts had 25 assists, eight digs and seven kills. She then totaled 36 assists, 10 kills, and six digs to go along with one block in the sweep over Arkansas-Fort Smith on Friday (Nov. 6). Roberts ended the regular season as the league’s back-to-back Setter of the Week. She led all MIAA setters with five total MIAA Setter of the Week honors this season.
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Carly Purdy, Nebraska Kearney
Carly Purdy helped the No. 6-ranked Lopers complete a perfect 12-0 conference record with back-to-back three-set wins to close out the regular season and claim the 2026 MIAA title. The senior outside hitter averaged an MIAA-leading 5.25 points per set and 4.7 kills per set over the weekend while hitting .406. She had nine kills in the sweep over Missouri Southern and added 19 in the sweep against Central Missouri, hitting .487 against the Jens.
Haylee Wolf, Fort Hays State
Haylee Wolf averaged 5.86 digs per set in a pair of home victories last week, helping Fort Hays State qualify for the 2026 MIAA Championship Tournament. The junior libero tallied 18 digs in four sets against Central Missouri before racking up 23 in a three-set sweep against Missouri Southern. She also added seven assists for the week.
Annie Eaton, Fort Hays State
Annie Eaton orchestrated the Tiger offense to a pair of victories last week, helping FHSU secure a spot in the 2026 MIAA Championship tournament. The sophomore setter averaged 9.86 assists, 2.71 digs and 1.0 service aces per set, racking up 69 assists, 19 digs, seven aces, four blocks and two kills. She opened the week with 43 assists, two aces and three blocks in a win over Central Missouri before totaling 26 assists and five aces in a sweep against Missouri Southern.
ALSO NOMINATED:
OFFENSE – Lavra Krizanic [Emporia State], Sawyer Franz [Central Oklahoma], Tanith Roush [Missouri Western], Peyton Bergschneider [Fort Hays State]
DEFENSE – Anna Weberg [Missouri Western], Crystal Smith [Pittsburg State], Kaitlyn Parrott [Central Oklahoma]
SETTER – Jesa Wallace [Pittsburg State], Ellie Eckman [Nebraska Kearney]
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
WEEK EIGHT:
Offensive – Brynn Stowell, Nebraska Kearney
Defensive – Ryann Hamilton, Emporia State
Setter – Riley Roberts, Central Oklahoma
WEEK NINE:
Offensive – Sydney Davis, Nebraska Kearney
Defensive – Ellery Luhring, Northwest Missouri
Setter – Mayli Whetter, Arkansas-Fort Smith
WEEK TEN:
Offensive – Tanith Roush, Missouri Western
Defensive – Ellery Luhring, Northwest Missouri
Setter – Riley Roberts, Central Oklahoma
WEEK ELEVEN:
Offensive – Crystal Smith, Pittsburg State
Defensive – Ellie Spang, Nebraska Kearney
Setter – Riley Roberts, Central Oklahoma