Women's Volleyball | 10/23/2023 3:01:00 PM

October 23, 2023 – Sandora Sasaki earned MIAA Volleyball Hitter of the Week honors for the third time following a week which included a career high in kills.

Sasaki had a career high 32 kills at Fort Hays State as she averaged 5.83 kills per set in 12 sets last week for Emporia State.

Her 32 kills in the 3-1 win over the Tigers are the most by a Hornet volleyball player in the rally scoring era. The 32 kills tied for the most in NCAA Division II and the second-most in any match in D2 this season. The 32 kills are the most by a MIAA player since Barbara Jackson (Central Oklahoma) had 33 in a 3-1 loss to UCM on November 21, 2015 in the MIAA Tournament Championship match. She was three kills shy of the Emporia State school record of 35 set by Kendra Dawson in a five-set win over Rockhurst on October 1, 1991.

She followed that with 20 kills on .370 hitting in the Hornets 3-0 win over Missouri Southern and then had 18 kills in a 3-2 loss to Central Missouri.

Sasaki has now reached double figures in 21 straight matches to open the season. It is the longest such streak by a Hornet since Arica Shepard reached double figures in the final 28 matches of the 2009 season. It is the longest streak to start a season by a Hornet since the NCAA moved to 25-point sets in 2008.

Emporia State will return to action on Tuesday, October 24 as they travel to take on Nebraska-Kearney. The match is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.