For the second consecutive week, UCF Volleyball earned an American Athletic Conference weekly individual honor. UCF senior DeLaina Sarden followed sophomore teammate Kia Bright as The American Offensive Player of the Week after a pair of stellar performances that helped UCF remain perfect in conference play.
“DeLaina did a great job with the matchups she was given this week,” UCF head coach Todd Dagenais said. “She continues to be such a versatile part of our offense despite the fact that teams are game planning for her each and every week.”
Sarden hit a team-best .656 for the week and averaged 3.29 kills per set to lead the Knights to a pair of conference road wins. She finished with 15 kills, while hitting a season-high .650 in the win over in-state rival USF on Wednesday. In Sunday’s sweep of East Carolina, Sarden continued her offensive efficiency, hitting .667 with eight kills and no errors in 12 attempts. UCF set an American Athletic Conference record for hitting percentage in a conference match, posting a .444 team hitting percentage.
She also served up back-to-back aces in a four-point run at the end of the second set against the Pirates, bringing her total to four aces for the week. For the week, she denied a team-best eight shots, averaging 1.14 blocks per set for the Knights, and led the team with 31.5 total points.
The Lawrenceville, Ga., native has been recognized four times as the American Player of the Week, earning the distinction three times in 2013. Sarden became the third Knight tabbed with the accolade this season, as sophomore Jale Hervey earned the first honor of the season and Kia Bright picked up the award last week.