Junior middle blocker Dani Szczepanski has been tabbed the Southern Conference offensive Player of the Week for her play during the Chattanooga Classic last weekend, the league announced Monday afternoon.
UTC has now had an offensive player of the week selection for the fourth consecutive season. The Cincinnati, Ohio native earned the honor for the first time during her career.
Szczepanski was more than dominant over the weekend in the Chattanooga Classic while earning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player laurel for her stellar play.
“Since the end of last fall, Dani has consistently worked hard on and off the court to better herself, and her play thus far this season has represented that dedication to her craft,” said head coach Travis Filar.
“Her entire game has improved from blocking to serving, and of course her attacking, which she has become very efficient in her ability to not only score points but to be a great option offensively out of serve receive and in transition.
“I’m really proud of her and this recognition is well-deserved.”
The junior finished the weekend with 44 kills (3.38 per set) at a .527 hitting percentage while leading the team with eight service aces.
She tied a career-high 16 kills at a blistering .714 percentage and set a new career mark with five service aces in win over UNC Asheville on Friday.
That impressive performance was topped during Saturday night’s title match against North Alabama. Szczepanski totaled a new career-high 20 kills and set a new program record in attacking percentage with 20+ kills by hitting at a .731 clip.
Through the first six matches of the season, Szczepanski leads the SoCon with a .519 hitting percentage and ranks 4th across all of NCAA DI.
Chattanooga travels to Tennessee Tech for a 7 p.m. ET non-conference match on Tuesday evening.