WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University women's volleyball player Morgan Lauvray (Murrieta, Calif.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Libero of the Week for the week of September 16-22, it was announced today by the league. Lauvray becomes the first Shark to earn the award since teammate Julia Fusco (Beverly, Mass.) was honored for the week of October 9-15, 2017.
The junior averaged 4.78 digs and 0.67 service aces per set in nine sets over three matches and owned a .905 serve reception rate for Simmons. Lauvray recorded 11 or more digs in all three matches, which were all limited to just three sets. The Vista Murrieta High School product began the week with 14 digs and committed just two serve reception errors in 20 attempts vs. number 21 nationally-ranked Babson College on September 19. Lauvray capped the week with a GNAC tri-match that saw her average six digs per set to total 18 against visiting Lasell University, while recording a .917 serve reception rate with just one miscue in 12 attempts. She finished the week with 11 digs in three sets and fired a career-high six aces against Regis College (Mass.) to help the Sharks complete a weekend sweep of their GNAC rivals on September 21.
For the season, the West Coast native currently ranks fourth among conference leaders with 4.80 digs per set, while averaging 0.43 aces per frame to stand third on the team. A Political Science major, Lauvray has played in all 46 sets over 12 matches for Simmons and maintains a .889 serve reception success mark. Lauvray has picked up 11 or more digs in every match this season, including four outings with 20 or more. She turned in a career-high total of 29 digs vs. Wentworth Institute of Technology on September 5.
The junior spent the first two seasons as a defensive specialist for the Sharks, before moving into the starting libero role this season. She has seen action in 71 matches and 247 sets during her Simmons tenure, while coming up with 577 digs for an average of 2.34 per set to go with 64 service aces.
The Sharks are currently 8-4 on the season, including a perfect 2-0 in league play as one of just two teams in the conference to have a pair of wins without a defeat. Simmons returns to action on Saturday, September 28 when it travels to New London, N.H. to take on GNAC foe Colby-Sawyer College at 1:00 p.m.