NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle was pegged as a strong competitor in Class AA at the start of the season, but the Huguenots have now firmly established themselves as a title contender after a stellar opening week of the season.
Leading the charge was senior outside hitter Rachel Darius, who registered 38 kills, eight service aces, and 15 digs in wins against Class AA foes Arlington and North Rockland. New Rochelle also won the Scarsdale tournament on Saturday, where Darius was a force throughout the entire day.
Darius is the first lohud volleyball player of the week this year, being recognized for her accomplishments on the court from Sept. 4-10.
Honor Roll
– Kristen Conway, Suffern: The senior had 26 kills, four blocks, and 10 digs in a four-set win over Yorktown and led the Mounties to a silver bracket championship at the Scarsdale tournament. Conway missed most of the day while taking the ACT, but Suffern did not lose upon her arrival.
– Olivia Doorley, Pearl River: The junior racked up 31 kills and 12 digs in a five-set win over Fox Lane and had 15 kills and 15 digs in a four-set loss to Eastchester.
– Jade Iadarola, Rye: The senior was dominant in the Garnets’ five-set thriller over Ursuline, pounding 20 kills in the win. Iadarola also had 12 kills in a four-set win over Lourdes, a Class B section finalist last year.
– Liz Spencer, Somers: The senior setter led the Tuskers to a tremendous tournament win at Rye, knocking off the hosts in the final. Rye is currently the 10th-ranked overall team in the section by The Journal News/lohud, while Somers was not ranked in the top 10 for Class A. Spencer had 50 assists during the week in wins against Carmel and Gorton, but was instrumental for the Tuskers on Saturday.
– Zoe Staats, Hen Hud: It didn’t take long for the senior hitter to prove why she is a two-time Super 7 selection. Staats had 20 kills and four blocks in a sweep of ninth-ranked Pelham and was named to the all-tournament team at the Sailors’ annual Breast Cancer Awareness tournament Saturday. “She’s playing out of her mind right now,” Hen Hud head coach Diane Swertfager said of Staats on Saturday.
This year’s winners
Sept. 11: Rachel Darius, New Rochelle (Read)
How to nominate a player for #POTW
Please send an email to volleyball beat writer Mike Zacchio at mzacchio@lohud.com by the end of the day Sunday with your nominee’s name, school, grade, position, stats for the week (all matches from Monday through Sunday), and opponents for each match. Please include any tournament performance information, if applicable.
A new player of the week and Honor Roll will be announced every Monday afternoon, usually at noon, unless otherwise noted. These honors will end following the conclusion of the regular season.