NEW ORLEANS – University of South Alabama volleyball setter Rachael DeMarcus was named the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office Monday.

In two matches last week, DeMarcus recorded 78 assists for an average of 11.14 assists per set, along with three kills, one service ace, 14 digs and four block-assists in seven sets played.

The Lexington, Ky., native posted 36 assists, one service ace, three digs and one block-assist in the Jaguars' win at Troy last Wednesday. She followed that performance by recording her third double-double of the season in Saturday's win over Troy, finishing with a career-high 42 assists, along with 11 digs, three kills and three block-assists. 

DeMarcus currently ranks eighth in the Sun Belt in assists per set (6.59), and is seventh in assists per set (7.89) in conference matches.

She is the first Jaguar volleyball student-athlete to earn weekly honors from the league office, and the first Jag to receive Freshman-of-the-Week honors from the conference office since Meaghan Jones earned the distinction on Oct. 16 last year. 

Appalachian State's Kara Spicer and Becky Porter were named the Sun Belt's Offensive Player of the Week and Setter of the Week, respectively, while Coastal Carolina's Sydney Alvis was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week.

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