BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh captured two Patriot League women’s volleyball weekly awards, presented by Credit Union One, while American received one, when the League office announced the honors on Tuesday.
Lehigh junior outside hitter Alysia Fingall captured Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Player of the Week after totaling 39 kills on a .301 hitting percentage in a 2-1 weekend for the Mountain Hawks.
Mountain Hawks’ sophomore defensive specialist Sophia Bond was named Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week after recording 63 digs, 18 assists and five service aces.
American freshman outside hitter Sophie Dufour earned Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Rookie of the Week after notching 54 kills in a 2-2 week for the Eagles.
Honorable mentions went to Army West Point sophomore middle blocker Breelyn Bender and junior setter Juliette Myrick, Colgate junior setter Deren Cukur, Holy Cross freshman outside hitter Emma Sorensen and Loyola Maryland freshman libero Addie Huber.
The Patriot League women’s volleyball players of the week are selected in a vote by League head coaches, who are not eligible to vote for their own student-athletes.
2025 Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Standings (through Sept. 9)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| American |
0-0 |
.000 |
5-2 |
.714 |
| Army West Point |
0-0 |
.000 |
4-2 |
.667 |
| Lehigh |
0-0 |
.000 |
4-2 |
.667 |
| Colgate |
0-0 |
.000 |
2-4 |
.333 |
| Holy Cross |
0-0 |
.000 |
2-4 |
.333 |
| Loyola Maryland |
0-0 |
.000 |
2-4 |
.333 |
| Navy |
0-0 |
.000 |
2-4 |
.333 |
| Bucknell |
0-0 |
.000 |
1-4 |
.200 |
| Lafayette |
0-0 |
.000 |
1-5 |
.167 |
ONLINE SCHEDULE |
ONLINE STATS
Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Player of the Week
Alysia Fingall, Lehigh, Jr., Outside Hitter, Panama City, Fla./Mosley
*Fingall tallied 39 kills (3.25 per set) on a .301 hitting percentage, 30 digs (2.50 per set) and five blocks in a 2-1 weekend for Lehigh.
*The junior’s top performance came in a 3-0 sweep of Bellarmine with a double-double on 14 kills and 11 digs while hitting .455.
*The Panama City, Fla. native had 13 kills, seven digs, two aces and one block against Princeton, as well as 12 kills, 12 digs and four blocks at James Madison.
*Among Patriot League rankings, Fingall is fourth in hitting percentage (.345), tied for fourth in points per set (3.88) and fifth in kills per set (3.38).
Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
Sophia Bond, Lehigh, So., Defensive Specialist, Olathe, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas
*Bond totaled 63 digs (5.25 per set), 18 assists and five service aces in a 2-1 weekend for Lehigh that included victories over Bellarmine (3-2) and James Madison (3-1).
*The sophomore had 26 digs, six assists and three service aces against Princeton; 16 digs and seven assists at Bellarmine; and 21 digs, five assists and a pair of aces at James Madison.
*The Olathe, Kan. native leads the Patriot League in digs per set (4.67) and ranks third in digs (98).
Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Rookie of the Week
Sophie Dufour, American, Fr., Outside Hitter, Frankfort, Ky./Franklin County
*Dufour led American in kills in three of four matches last week, finishing with 54 kills (3.86 per set) on a .284 hitting percentage.
*The freshman hit a season-high .394 with 15 kills in the Eagles’ 3-0 sweep of Cleveland State, adding 11 digs for her second double-double of the season.
*Dufour leads the Patriot League in kills (95) and is tied for first in points (102).
Honorable Mention
Breelyn Bender, Army West Point, So., Middle Blocker, Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth
*Bender finished the weekend with 14 blocks (1.08 per set), while adding 30 kills on a .439 hitting percentage to lead Army West Point to a 2-1 weekend.
*The Nazareth, Pa. native earned a spot on the Black Knights Invitational All-Tournament Team after recording a season-high seven blocks against Hofstra and five blocks in Army West Point’s win over Binghamton (3-1).
Juliette Myrick, Army West Point, Jr. Setter, St. Louis, Mo./Eureka
*Myrick helped Army West Point to a 2-1 weekend as she finished with 96 assists, 23 kills on a .321 hitting percentage, 37 digs, 10 blocks and four service aces.
*The junior, who was named to the Black Knights Invitational All-Tournament Team, recorded her eighth career triple-double with 33 assists, 12 kills and 11 digs in a 3-1 victory over Binghamton.
Deren Cukur, Colgate, Jr., Setter, Izmir, Turkey/Irmak Schools in Turkey
*Deren recorded three straight double-doubles in a tough weekend for Colgate as the junior totaled 108 assists, 36 digs and 13 kills. The junior had 39 assists and 10 digs at Ball State, 37 kills and 11 digs against South Dakota and 32 kills and 15 digs at UConn.
Emma Sorensen, Holy Cross, Fr., Outside Hitter, Dallas, Texas/Ursuline Academy of Dallas
*Sorensen paced Holy Cross with 39 kills (3.25 per set), adding 22 digs (1.83 per set), five blocks and an ace while hitting .275 in a 2-1 week for the Crusaders.
*The freshman recorded her second double-double of the season with 17 kills and 13 digs in a five-set victory over Saint Peter’s.
Addie Huber, Loyola Maryland, Fr., Libero, Hershey, Pa./Middletown Area
*Huber totaled 58 digs (4.46 per set), 13 assists and three service aces in Loyola Maryland’s three matches at the Chick-fil-A Robinson Classic.
*The freshman opened with 17 digs at Duquesne, had 21 digs and six assists against Robert Morris, and finished with 20 digs, five assists and two aces at Farleigh Dickinson.
Player of the Week
9.2 – Salme Adeele Hollas, American, So., OH
9.9 – Alysia Fingall, Lehigh, Jr., OH
Defensive Player of the Week
9.2 – Bella Marrero, American, So., L
9.9 – Sophia Bond, Lehigh, So., DS/L
Rookie of the Week
9.2 – Ellen Gundlach, Navy, Fr. MB
9.9 – Sophie Dufour, American, Fr., OH
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.