BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- Sophomore libero Natalia Rivera has once again been selected as the Molten/Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday afternoon.

Rivera has earned the NEC's defensive weekly award a conference-leading five times this season and currently has claimed more weekly awards this year than any other NEC volleyball student-athlete in any category - defensive, rookie or player of the week.

The Puerto Rico native averaged 7.86 digs per set in a pair of weekend road matches against Robert Morris and Saint Francis U. She logged a match-high 33 digs in a three-set sweep of Saint Francis U on Saturday that kept LIU in third place in the league standings and opened the weekend with 22 digs in a four-set loss to Robert Morris.

Rivera sits in second place in the NEC and ranks in the top-20 nationally with 5.48 digs per set (19th) and 466 total digs (18th) on the season.

2017 LIU BROOKLYN WINNERS - NEC VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY AWARDS
10/23/17 / Natalia Rivera / Molten/NEC Defensive Player of the Week
10/9/17 / Viktoria Fink / Molten/NEC Player of the Week
10/9/17 / Natalia Rivera / Molten/NEC Defensive Player of the Week
9/25/17 / Viktoria Fink / Molten/NEC Player of the Week
9/18/17 / Natalia Rivera / Molten/NEC Defensive Player of the Week
9/5/17 / Natalia Rivera / Molten/NEC Defensive Player of the Week
8/28/17 / Viktoria Fink / Molten/NEC Player of the Week
8/28/17 / Natalia Rivera / Molten/NEC Defensive Player of the Week