DALLAS – New Mexico State’s Ashley Herman, Missouri State’s Brooke Eslinger, Western Kentucky’s Kate Rush and Kennesaw State’s Alexis Sowers have earned Conference USA Volleyball Player of the Week honors.
 
CUSA Offensive Player of the Week – Ashley Herman, NM State – R-Sr. – OH -
Bakersfield, Calif.
Herman led NM State to a perfect 3-0 weekend and tournament title at the Bulldog Invitational, averaging 3.00 kills per set while hitting a team-best .550. She finished the week with 39 kills, leading all Aggies and ranking first on the team in points with 42.5. The outside hitter recorded double-digit kills in all three matches, posting 12 kills vs. UC Irvine, 14 kills at Fresno State and 13 kills vs. Southern Utah. She hit above .525 in every match during the weekend, including a season-best .571 hitting percentage against Fresno State. That effort against the Bulldogs is the highest individual hitting percentage by an Aggie with at least 12 kills this season. 
 
CUSA Defensive Player of the Week – Brooke Eslinger, Missouri State – Sr. – L – Cleveland, Tenn.
Eslinger averaged 5.30 digs per set with a .978 service reception percentage. She collected 11 digs and went 15-for-15 on serve receive against Little Rock, had 20 digs and an ace in a sweep over Northwestern State and finished with 22 digs while going 16-for-16 versus Indiana State. The senior libero also served two aces on the weekend. Her performance led her to a Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational all-tournament selection.
 
CUSA Setter of the Week – Kate Rush, WKU – So. – Georgetown, Ky.
For the second week in a row, Rush has been named Setter of the Week. She tallied 118 assists, 17 kills, 11 aces, 16 digs, and six blocks over the weekend. The sophomore logged a double-double against Dayton with 41 assists and a career high 11 kills, hitting .476. Rush also added four digs, three aces, and three blocks. In a win against Wright State, she recorded a career high six aces.
 
CUSA Freshman of the Week – Alexis Sowers, KSU – Fr. – L – Jacksonville, Fla.
Sowers led Conference USA with 65 digs for the week, averaging 5.91 digs per set over 11 sets. She recorded 18 or more digs in all three matches, including both of Kennesaw State's three-set victories. The freshman opened the week with a career-high 25 digs in five sets at Georgia State. She continued the weekend with a match-high 18 digs in just three sets in KSU's 3-0 sweep of West Georgia. Sowers followed with another match-high 22 digs in three sets in a 3-0 sweep of Alabama A&M. She averaged an impressive 6.67 digs per set in KSU's two victories, totaling 40 digs in just six sets and helping to anchor the Owl’s defense that posted back-to-back sweeps to finish the week 2-1. The freshman libero has recorded double-digit digs in all six matches to begin her collegiate career.
 
2026 CUSA Offensive Players of the Week
A31       Laney Daniell, Liberty
S7          Ashley Herman, NM State

2026 CUSA Defensive Players of the Week
A31       Michaela Dlouhá, MTSU
S7          Brooke Eslinger, Missouri State
 
2026 CUSA Setters of the Week
A31       Kate Rush, WKU  
S7          Kate Rush, WKU
 
2026 CUSA Freshmen of the Week
A31       Marianne Garcia, MTSU   
S7          Alexis Sowers, Kennesaw State