BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- Junior Viktoria Fink and freshman Piper Matsumoto have been named the Molten/Northeast Conference Player and Rookie of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Fink averaged 4.50 kills per set and 3.00 digs per set while Matsumoto averaged 10.62 assists per set to help the Blackbirds sweep its two matches against Central Connecticut and Bryant - the two teams leading the Blackbirds atop the NEC standings before this weekend.
Fink was one dig short of securing a pair of double-doubles in the two matches. She went for 19 kills and 15 digs against CCSU and added 17 kills and nine digs against Bryant. Matsumoto logged 85 total digs in the two contests, including a team season-best 53 against the Bulldogs that currently ranks as the fourth-highest tally and best four-set total in the conference this year. Fink is currently fifth in the NEC in kills (3.51/set) and Matsumoto is eighth in assists (5.47/set).
The pair of new honors mark the third time this year that LIU has claimed two of the three awards in the same week and gives the team the most total weekly awards this year (10). The Player of the Week award is the fourth of the year and career for Fink; the Rookie of the Week honor is the first-ever for Matsumoto and the first for LIU since current sophomore Amanda Hubbard won for the fourth time on November 14, 2016.
LIU will close its road schedule with a crosstown visit to St. Francis Brooklyn on Friday, November 3 at 4 p.m.
2017 LIU BROOKLYN WINNERS - NEC VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY AWARDS
10/30/17 / Piper Matsumoto / Molten/NEC Rookie of the Week
10/30/17 / Viktoria Fink / Molten/NEC Player of the Week
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