WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – First-year Ali Koval (Mansfield, Pa./North Penn-Mansfield) made a splash in her first week playing libero for the Lycoming College volleyball team, averaging more than seven digs per set to earn the MAC Freedom's Defensive Player of the Week award.
 
Koval, who leads the MAC Freedom with 7.08 digs per set, had at least 17 digs in each of the team's four matches during its opening week. Koval opened her career with 17 digs, an assist and two aces against Manhattanville before helping the team to its first win of the year with a 17-dig, one-ace effort in a sweep of La Roche on Friday evening.
 
She capped the weekend with a pair more sterling efforts, as she posted 33 digs and added a kill against Penn State-Mont Alto before notching 18 digs and an assist in a 3-0 win over Notre Dame (Md.), the defending CSAC champions.
 
Koval is Lycoming's first defensive player of the week since Lilly Singleton earned the award on Nov. 4, 2019 in the MAC Commonwealth. She is the first Warrior honored with a MAC Freedom weekly award since Lindsey Artz was named the player of the week on Nov. 6, 2006.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m., when they head to Penn College for a non-conference match.