PITMAN --- The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its women's volleyball weekly honors for the week ending Sept. 20.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NICOLE PALMER • Stockton University
Senior • Right Side • Islip Terrace, NY/East Islip
Palmer earns her second consecutive NJAC Player of the Week honor after a dominant three-match week, averaging 4.50 kills, 5.60 points and 3.40 digs per set as Stockton swept all three matches. She posted 56.0 total points on 45 kills, 34 digs, six aces and eight total blocks, reaching 1,000 career kills in Wednesday's win over Muhlenberg, where she finished with 14 kills, 14 digs and a .344 hitting percentage for the first of back-to-back double-doubles. She followed with a season-high 17 kills, 15 digs and four blocks in a .406-hitting effort against Neumann, then closed the week with 14 kills and a .355 clip in a sweep of Moravian. Palmer currently leads the NJAC in kills (4.26/set) and points (4.93/set) and is fourth with a .295 hitting percentage.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ALEENA WHITEHEAD • Montclair State University
Freshman • Libero • San Antonio, TX/Ronald Reagan
Whitehead has been selected as NJAC Defensive Player of the Week after another dominant week in the back row for the Red Hawks, racking up 74 digs — 6.17 per set — to go with nine assists, seven service aces and a kill across a 2-1 week. She scooped 23 in a four-set win over John Jay to open the week, then posted 25 in a setback to Whittier before wrapping up the week with a week-high 26 in four-set win over Franklin & Marshall. She has now posted 20-plus digs in each of her last three matches and double-digit digs in five straight. Whitehead currently ranks fifth in the NJAC in digs per set (4.40) on the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
SYDNEY TRAMONTANA • Ramapo College
Freshman • Outside Hitter • Nutley, NJ/Nutley
Tramontana claimed NJAC Rookie of the Week after a highly efficient week for the Roadrunners, averaging 2.86 kills, 3.00 points and 2.71 digs per set across two matches. She hit .350 with eight kills and 10 digs in a three-set sweep of Mt. St. Mary (NY), then followed with a team-high 12 kills and nine digs in a four-set win over Centenary. Tramontana is currently chipping in 2.32 kills and 2.52 digs per set in her rookie season.