UCI’s Kekauoka, Akpakpa earn honors

UC Irvine opposite Harlee Kekauoka and middle blocker Idara Akpakpa have been named Big West Conference Freshman Player of the Week and Freshman Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, in women’s volleyball.

Kekauoha has been a key player for the Anteaters this season and in three matches last week, the 6-foot newcomer asserted herself as one of the top freshmen in the Big West. She averaged 4.27 kills per set, including a career-high 18 in the win against Oregon State while adding 13 digs for a double-double.

Kekauoha started the week with a .571 hitting percentage, putting away 16 kills in 28 swings with no errors against No. 14-ranked UCLA.

Against the Beavers, Kekauoha chipped in a season-high six block assists and fired three aces. She got off to a slow start against San Diego but finished the match tied for the team-high with 13 kills and finished with a season-best seven block assists.

Kekuaoha is the lone freshman ranked in the Big West top 10 in hitting percentage (fifth at .340) and is also ranked eighth in the conference in kills per set (3.22).

The 6-0 Akpakpa was a force at the net, accumulating 15 block assists and averaging 1.36 per set. She had a career-high seven block assists against Oregon State and had three kills in as many swings.

Akpakpa had a career-best eight kills and hit .389 against San Diego, against which her six block assists were one shy of her season high.

— From staff reports