MARLBOROUGH, Mass.— After winning two out of three matches at the annual New England Challenge, No. 25/14 Babson College senior
Zoe Ackerman (Aurora, Colo.) and sophomore
Ailsa Munro (Sylmar, Calif.) swept the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Women's Volleyball weekly honors on Monday morning.
Ackerman was named Offensive Athlete of the Week for the second time this month and fourth time in her career, while Munro received the Defensive Athlete of the Week for the first time this season and second time in her career.
A member of the New England Challenge All-Tournament team, Ackerman totaled 177 assists and 14 service aces, averaged 11.06 assists and 0.88 aces per set and became No. 25 Babson's all-time leader in service aces in a 3-1 week. The senior setter had a double-double with 49 assists and 11 digs in Tuesday's 3-1 win at No. 7 MIT and followed it up with a season-high 56 assists to go along with three aces in Friday's five-set triumph over Middlebury. Ackerman capped the week with 42 assists and six aces in a four-set loss to Tufts and 30 assists and four aces to break the Beavers' 25-year old aces record in a sweep of Williams.
A three-time All-Region first team and All-America honorable mention, Ackerman leads the NEWMAC this season with 10.36 assists per set and 0.71 service aces per set. She ranks third in Division III in total assists (860) and fourth in assists per set as well as seventh in service aces (59) and 28th in aces per set.
Munro provided 23 blocks and averaged 1.44 blocks per set as No. 25 Babson went 3-1 against some of the top teams in the region. The sophomore middle set a new career high with eight total blocks in Tuesday's four-set win at No. 7 MIT and followed it up with five more blocks in Friday's 3-2 victory over Middlebury to begin the New England Challenge. Munro also had five blocks in both of Saturday's matches as the Beavers bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Tufts with a sweep of Williams.
A starter in all 23 matches this season and 51 of her 54 career matches, Munro leads the team with 68 total blocks and 0.96 blocks per set. She ranks third in the NEWMAC in blocks per set and fourth in total blocks. She also contributes offensively, ranking second in the conference in attack percentage (.350).
Babson (18-5, 7-1 NEWMAC) has four matches remaining in the regular season, beginning with home clashes vs. Salve Regina on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and a non-conference match-up against Endicott on Friday at 7 p.m.
