Volleyball: Kelsey Bennett Awarded a Third Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week Honor

Pushed past 300 kills for the first time and led Louisiana to a pair of key road wins

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Volleyball’s Kelsey Bennett was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday (Nov. 2), receiving the award for the third time in the 2021 season.
 

The junior outside hitter averaged 4.6 kills per set and recorded a .270 hitting percentage as Louisiana (13-8, 8-5 Sun Belt) picked up a key road sweep of Arkansas State and Little Rock from Oct. 28-30.
 
Bennett’s weekend stat line included 37 kills and 30 digs over eight sets as she spearheaded the efforts which kept the Ragin’ Cajuns in sole possession of second place in the SBC West and in contention for the division title.
 
She started with a 20-20 double-double of 23 kills and 21 digs in a five-set win over Arkansas State, the offensive production pushing her past 300 kills in a single season for the first time in her career.
 
The ASU performance was the sixth 20-plus kills outing of the season for Bennett and her third 20-20 double-double (24 kills, 22 digs at Southern Miss; 21 kills, 21 digs at UT Arlington).
 
On Saturday in Little Rock, Bennett landed six kills apiece in each of the first two sets as Louisiana built a commanding 2-0 match lead. Her final tally of 14 kills against the Trojans marked the 19th time in 21 matches reaching double figures in kills.
 
Bennett now owns a Sun Belt-best three Offensive Player of the Week accolades this season. The first Ragin’ Cajun to win the OPOW honor multiple times in a single season, she adds to the new benchmark.
 
It’s the fourth career SBC Weekly award overall for Bennett, adding to the pair of SBC Offensive Player of the Week honors earned previously this season (Aug. 31 and Oct. 5) plus the SBC Defensive Player of the Week honor received back on Nov. 18, 2019.
 
For the season, Bennett leads Louisiana’s offense averaging a career-best 3.9 kills per set and 328 kills totaled on a .259 hitting percentage. She is 14 digs shy recording her first 300-300 season of kills and digs at the collegiate level.
 
Louisiana begins a three-match homestand on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Earl K. Long Gym hosting ULM and celebrating Alumni Weekend with a special tribute to Sawyer Camillo. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
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