WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons College women's volleyball player Alex Itasaka (Bradford, Mass.) has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Libero of the Week for the week of September 19-25, it was announced by the league today.
In 14 sets over four matches, the senior averaged 5.36 digs and 0.64 aces per set, while posting a .925 service receiving success rate. The libero recorded double-digit dig numbers and fired at least one ace in every match during the week. Itasaka began the week with 10 digs and an ace, while handling all 14 serves without a miscue in a 3-0 victory over visiting Lesley University on September 20. A graduate of Haverhill High School, Itasaka had no fewer than 16 digs in each of the remaining three matches for the week. She picked up 16 digs in a four-set contest at Anna Maria College on September 22 and added an ace. Itasaka capped the week with a tri-match on September 24. She averaged 8.25 digs with 33 in a four-set match vs. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and also served up a pair of aces. Her final effort of the week saw her get down for 16 digs and fire a season-high five aces in a 3-0 victory at Smith College.
Itasaka currently ranks third among GNAC leaders with a career-best 5.16 digs per set with 196 in 38 sets over 10 matches. She is also averaging a career-high 0.42 aces per set with a total of 16 to place her second for the Sharks. The libero has posted a .908 serve receive percentage in 284 attempts. Her total of 33 digs vs. MIT ranks as the 27th-highest mark for any player in Division III this season.
For her career, the Bradford, Mass. native has seen action in 360 sets in exactly 100 matches, while getting down for 1,217 digs, which is highest career dig total of any Simmons player since 2009. She has averaged 3.38 digs per set and served up 68 aces during her tenure with the Sharks. She opened her career by earning Third Team All-Conference honors following her first season of collegiate competition in 2013.
Simmons is currently 4-6 on the season, including 1-1 in league play. The Sharks will be in action again on Wednesday, September 28 when they head to Cranston, R.I. to take on league foe Johnson & Wales University for a 7:00 p.m. match.