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Western New York's Premier Division II Team
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Nahirka Malpica defensive player of the week

Malpica Earns ECC Defensive Player of the Week

10/21/2024 1:34:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mary Margaret Johnson, Assistant Athletics Communications Director | mmjohnso@daemen.edu
AMHERST, N.Y. -- Nahirka Malpica (Caguas, P.R.) of the Daemen University women's volleyball team was named the East Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week for week seven of the women's volleyball season, the conference announced on Monday afternoon. This marks the first time in Malpica's career that she earned Defensive Player of the Week, and second time this season that she earned a major weekly award by the league. 

A 5-foot-8 junior outside hitter, Malpica led the Wildcats both offensively and defensively with 38 kills and 38 digs (4.2 per set) in Daemen's 1-1 week, posting a double-double in both matches against Gannon and Roberts Wesleyan. Malpica posted 16 kills and 20 digs in the Wildcats' loss to Gannon on Tuesday, posting 20+ digs for the second match in 2024. The junior outside hitter totaled 20+ kills for the second time this season against the Redhawks, totaling 22 kills on 55 attacks. She added two assists, two aces and a block to her stat line this week.

One of four players to start all 18 matches this season, Malpica ranks second on the team with 208 total kills and her 3.06 kills/set sits fifth in the ECC. She is second on the team defensively with 202 digs (2.97 digs/set) and ranks third on the team with 29 service aces (0.43 aces/set) while adding 17 total blocks on the year.

This is Malpica's second weekly award, having picked up ECC Player of the Week on Sept. 23, and it's the third time a Wildcat player has been named ECC Defensive Player of the Week. Graduate student libero Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) earned the award on Sept. 6 and Sept. 23.

The Wildcats will travel across town to play at D'Youville University on Thursday, Oct. 24 in a 6 PM match. 
Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen women's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.
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