KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) office announced the National Players of the Week earlier this morning for the week of September 9th to 16th, where the No. 9-ranked Corban University Volleyball team saw a member of the program named to one of the three national awards for the first time in 2024. Sophomore outside hitter Kendra Bittle stepped up and into the spotlight this past week to lead the Warriors to a 3-0 record, securing key road wins against Bushnell University, No. 5-ranked Southern Oregon University, and RV Oregon Tech.
To see the full list of winners for this week's NAIA National Volleyball Players of the Week, click HERE.
"Kendra is putting in the work each day and it is paying off!" exclaimed Corban head coach Kim McLain regarding her first national student-athlete of the week this season. "She is a selfless player wanting those around her to do well! Her growth and determination are showing up in practice and matches even more as the season progresses. I am so proud of her accomplishments so far this year and look forward to watching her develop even more, I am honored to coach her!"
A bounce-back weekend is exactly what Bittle needed to earn the first national award of her career, as the Central Point native accumulated 38 kills, 15 digs, and six blocks in the Warriors three road victories over the past week. After she recorded just six kills and a single dig in Corban's sweep of the Beacons in straight sets, she unloaded on the No. 5-ranked Raiders with 17 kills, a new career-high mark, on a .333 kill percentage while moving into an all-around role that saw her secure eight digs as well.
The following afternoon, Bittle kept her momentum at an all-time high with 15 more kills in a three-set sweep of the RV Lady Owls along with six more digs and a service ace. Defensively at the net, Bittle was involved in two blocking plays in each of the three matches played over the course of last week. Her success against nationally ranked opponents earned her the first Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Attacker of the Week award for her career, giving the program two of the five awarded thus far for the entire season.
Bittle looks to lead the Warriors into battle for another crucial weekend of conference matchups, as they'll host RV College of Idaho and No. 2-ranked Eastern Oregon University on Friday and Saturday at 6pm and 4pm, respectively, and will serve as Corban volleyball's first home CCC and counting contests for the 2024 season. Both reserved seating and general admission tickets are available on the Corban University Box Office website by clicking HERE.
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