Clayton Named Big South Volleyball Freshman of Week
10/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
For the second week in a row, Liberty freshman outside hitter Leah Clayton has been honored by the Big South. Today, she was named Big South Volleyball Freshman of the Week.
This is Clayton's first Big South Freshman of the Week award, as she was voted Player of the Week by the conference last week. Clayton is the third Liberty player this year to receive Big South Volleyball Freshman of the Week honors, joining Casey Goodwin (Sept. 12) and Anna Gragg (Sept. 19).
This marks just the third time in Big South history that one school has had three different players named Freshman of the Week in the same year. Winthrop did so in 2003, while Birmingham-Southern had three freshmen of the week in 2006.
Hailing from Danville, Va., Clayton played a major role in Liberty's 2-0 week. She averaged 3.62 kills per set and 4.06 points per set in wins over Gardner-Webb and Winthrop.
Clayton opened the weekend with seven kills, four digs and one block assist in a 3-0 sweep of Gardner-Webb on Friday.
She then recorded a career-high 22 kills, tying her career high with 17 digs and adding four block assists in a 3-2 win over Winthrop. Her 22 kills were the most by a Liberty true freshman since Jennifer Belk scored 28 kills against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 15, 2001. Clayton scored four kills in Liberty's 15-12, fifth-set victory. Liberty trailed, 9-7, before Clayton recorded three kills down the stretch, including the match-winner.
As a result of last weekend's matches, Clayton is ranked second in the Big South in kills per set (3.67) in conference matches and third in points per set (4.11) against league opponents.
Clayton and the Lady Flames (8-9, 3-2 Big South) return to action tonight at 7 p.m., taking on Campbell (8-12, 3-3) at the Vines Center. Tonight's match wraps up a stretch of three home matches in four days for Liberty.
