KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced new volleyball athletes of the week for week two of the 2026 season. Lydia Pitts of Arkansas-Fort Smith was named the Offensive Athlete of the Week, while Washburn’s Taylor Rottinghuas was named the Defensive Athlete of the Week and Shannon Frakes was selected as the back-to-back Setter of the Week.
OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Lydia Pitts, Arkansas-Fort Smith
Lydia Pitts led Arkansas-Fort Smith to a perfect 5-0 week with a mid-week win over Arkansas-Monticello and four straight wins at the Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational in Owensboro, Kentucky. The sophomore outside hitter recorded a double-double in all four matches in Kentucky, leading the Lions with 3.73 kills and 4.07 digs per set. Pitts totaled a MIAA-leading 63 kills in the week with a .309 hitting percentage. She also added nine blocks and two aces, totaling 70.5 points across 18 matches for the Lions.
DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Taylor Rottinghaus, Washburn
Taylor Rottinghaus returned to the Ichabods lineup to help No. 6-ranked Washburn to a 4-0 week at the Sioux Falls Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The senior led the team with 62 digs for an MIAA-leading 4.77 per set on the week as the Ichabods held three of their four opponents to under .150 hitting as a team. In the four-set victory over Sioux Falls, the Shawnee Heights grad scooped up 20 digs with a pair of assists. Rottinghaus also added 12 assists and served a pair of aces on the week.
SETTER OF THE WEEK: Shannon Frakes, Washburn
Shannon Frakes has been named the MIAA Setter of the Week for the second straight week to begin the 2026 season. Frakes helped No. 6 Washburn go 4-0 with another big week, leading the team and the MIAA with 158 total assists (12.15 per set) as the Ichabods hit over .250 as a team in three of the four matches over the weekend. Frakes also scooped 38 total digs (2.92 per set) on the defensive end to post a pair of double-doubles, while also serving four aces, slashing 11 kills and making four blocks. In a three-set sweep over Upper Iowa, the junior dished out 38 assists while making 11 digs.
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Emma Siron, Washburn
Emma Siron, the reigning MIAA Volleyball Offensive Athlete of the Week from week one of the 2026 season, once again led the No. 6 Washburn offense in kills as the Ichabods went 4-0 at the Sioux Falls Classic. The junior tallied 55 kills across 13 sets for an MIAA-leading 4.23 per set while hitting .271. She added six blocks, bringing her to 4.69 points per set, and scooped up 34 digs for 2.62 digs per set, with a pair of double-doubles. Siron’s top performance of the weekend came in the Ichabods’ three-set sweep over Upper Iowa, as she tallied 18 kills while hitting .400 and added eight digs.
Crystal Smith, Pittsburg State
Crystal Smith helped the Gorillas go 3-1 while hosting the Gorilla Classic, where Pitt State battled Truman State (3-0), Southwestern Oklahoma (0-3), Arkansas Tech (3-1) and William Jewell (3-1). The sophomore middle blocker finished the tournament with 4.70 points per set thanks to her 3.60 kills per set while hitting .464 and contributing 2.00 blocks per set. Smith ended the weekend with 13 kills on an impressive .706 hitting percentage and six total blocks for 16.0 points against William Jewell. For the season, Smith has already totaled 101.0 points (4.04 per set) from 71 kills (2.84 per set), 40 total blocks (1.60 per set), and seven service aces (0.28 per set) while posting a .446 season hitting percentage. Among MIAA ranks, she leads the conference in hitting percentage and blocks per set while ranking third in total blocks and points per set, and eighth in total points.
Piper Bahr, Emporia State
Piper Bahr led the Hornets offense to a 4-0 outing at the Sioux Falls Classic over the weekend. The freshman outside hitter opened the trip with 20 kills on .289 hitting in the Hornets’ five-set win over Sioux Falls to begin the weekend. She then had 11 kills on .320 hitting in a sweep over Mary before adding 12 kills in Emporia State's five-set comeback victory over Augustana. Bahr finished the road trip with 49 kills on .270 hitting to average 3.06 kills per set and help the Hornets to four wins.
Kaelyn McDonald, Central Missouri
Kaelyn McDonald helped the No. 25-ranked Jennies to a pair of victories over Regis and No. 7-ranked MSU-Denver at the Colorado Premier Challenge, leading the way with 30 kills while also adding 18 total blocks, three digs, and two assists. The middle blocker posted a UCM-best eight total blocks against the previously ranked No. 25 West Texas A&M, adding eight kills for good measure. McDonald ended UCM’s 2-2 weekend with a tournament-best nine kills on 23 swings (.348 attack percentage) in the 3-1 victory over No. 7 MSU-Denver in the Colorado Premier Challenge finale.
Ashlyn Reeves, Fort Hays State
Ashlyn Reeves led Fort Hays State to a 3-2 record in Colorado. The senior middle blocker led the Tigers with 61 points in five matches last week, averaging 3.21 per set after accumulating 44 kills (2.32 per set) and 28 blocks (1.47 per set). Reeves posted an attack percentage of .393 (44 kills - 11 errors - 84 attempts) and recorded three matches with 10 or more kills and two matches with at least eight blocks.
ALSO NOMINATED:
OFFENSE – Maya Fergerson [Central Missouri], Brynn Stowell [Nebraska Kearney], Addysen Alvis [Missouri Southern], Tanith Roush [Missouri Western], Mylie Brown [Fort Hays State], Poliana Lazarini [Northeastern State]
DEFENSE – Miyu Tsurumaki [Emporia State], Reagan Ashby [Missouri Southern], Sydney Davis [Nebraska Kearney], Crystal Smith [Pittsburg State]
SETTER – Chloe Rauner [Central Missouri], Jesa Wallace [Pittsburg State], Annie Eaton [Fort Hays State], Brailee Bogle [Emporia State], 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