Volleyball: Kelsey Bennett Receives Sun Belt Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week Honors

Junior outside hitter scooped at least 17 digs both matches in Arkansas, led team averaging five per set

LAFAYETTE – Kelsey Bennett extended her streak of consecutive matches with double-digit digs during last week’s road trip through Arkansas, and those efforts landed her the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week award for matches played Nov. 11-17.
 
In addition to her duties on offense as an outside hitter, Bennett averaged a team-best 5.0 digs per set in Louisiana’s sweep of Arkansas State and Little Rock, which secured a runner-up finish in the SBC West and the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament.
 
The Allen, Texas product totaled 35 digs on the weekend, scooping at least 17 digs each evening. She collected at least five digs in five of the seven sets competed in.
 
With 17 digs at ASU and 18 in Little Rock, Bennett extended her string of consecutive matches with double-digit digs to seven straight.
 

In her sophomore season with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Bennett has turned in a 200-200 season of kills and digs. In Sun Belt play, she collected 228 digs at a rate of 3.74 per set – figures second only to libero Hannah Ramirez – key in Louisiana limiting foes to a .168 percentage in league play.
 
This is the first career Sun Belt weekly award for Bennett. She’s the first Ragin’ Cajun named SBC Defensive Player of the Week since Sydney Davis back on Oct. 22, 2018.
 
She’s the third Ragin’ Cajun honored in the 2019 season, joining Celeste Darling who collected a freshman of the week honor on Sept. 9 and Hali Wisnoskie who was named offensive player of the week on Nov. 11.
 
Louisiana (14-15, 10-6 Sun Belt), winners of nine of its past 10 matches, opens play at the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 21 in San Marcos, Texas. The Ragin’ Cajuns, the No. 5 seed in the event, will face No. 8 seed Arkansas State (16-12, 7-9 Sun Belt) at 5 p.m. in a first round contest.
 
The winner of Thursday’s match advances to meet No. 4 seed Troy (21-8, 10-6 Sun Belt) in a quarterfinal contest on Friday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. The complete Sun Belt Conference Tournament bracket is available HERE.
 
Every match of the SBC Tournament will be broadcast live via ESPN�, and live stats will also be available. Links for the live stream and live stats can be accessed through the volleyball schedule page at RaginCajuns.com/2019VB.