NEW ORLEANS | After averaging nearly three blocks per set in the series with Troy over the weekend, Dalayla Blackwell was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league on Tuesday.

The selection marks the 43rd selection in program history and the 13th Defensive Player of the Week selection. Blackwell is just the third middle hitter in program history to earn the award. Since his arrival in 2021, South Alabama has received 18 selections as either the Offensive, Defensive or Setter of the Week during head coach Jesse Ortiz's tenure.

The honor is the second of the fall for Blackwell, who was also received the award on Sept. 1, while Anabelle Cerny was named the Setter of the Week on Sept. 22. Blackwell is just the second defender to be named the league's defensive player of the week multiple times in the same season, joining Rachel Hickey who earned the honor twice during the 2022 season.

Blackwell continued to show why she's one of the top middle defenders as she helped South Alabama pick up a series split at West Division leading Troy this past week. Blackwell was outstanding on the defensive side of the net as she averaged nearly three blocks a set, recording a league-best 2.67 bps against the Trojans. The Lafayette, La., native registered a 24 total blocks, which were 11 more than any other defender in the conference this past week. Over her 24 blocks, three were solo and 21 were assists. 

Led by Blackwell, South Alabama posted a season-best 17.0 blocks in the opener and then followed that up with 19.0 in the finale. The Jags held Troy to .059 or lower in five of the nine sets, including two in negative numbers in South Alabama's 3-1 win on Thursday.

Blackwell recorded three or more blocks in six of her nine sets in the two matches with her best coming in the third set on Friday where she recorded five.

In the series opener, Blackwell was outstanding on both sides of the net as she posted seven kills and matched a career high with 11 total blocks – two solo and nine assists. In the opening set, the Trojans held set point at 24-23, but Blackwell posted the next two points for the Jags – a kill and a solo block – to put the visitors at set point, and after a time out, Elyse Heffner dropped in her second ace to seal the win in extra points (26-24)

Blackwell led the way with three kills and four total blocks – one solo and three assists – in the opening frame, while posting a .429 hitting percentage, as the South Alabama defense also held the Trojans to a .028 hitting percentage, forcing 11 attack errors.

Led by Blackwell who had four blocks in the second set, South Alabama held Troy to a -.060 hitting percentage, forcing 13 attack errors aided by a solo block and 10 block assists in the set.

On Friday, Blackwell nearly helped the Jags pick up the sweep as she recorded a career-high 13 total blocks – a solo block and 12 block assists, also a career high. With the match tied at a set apiece, Blackwell played a key role in a pair of Jaguar runs to help South take the set, 25-15. 

In the fourth set and the Jags trailing by seven, Blackwell took over for the Jags, recording five-straight points as she posted a pair of kills and teamed up with Heffner for three block assists to cut the Trojan lead to 19-17. In the set, Blackwell finished with four kills and four block assists. 

Blackwell is currently tied for second in the Sun Belt Conference in hitting percentage (.369) and ranks fourth in blocks per set as she is averaging 1.22. Her 104 total blocks are third-most in the conference, while her 21 solo blocks are the most in the SBC and her 83 block assists are tied for fifth.

Up Next
•    South Alabama (9-13, 4-6 SBC) returns home this week to host ULM in a two-match Sun Belt Conference series. The series opener with the Warhawks is set for Thursday night at 6 p.m. at Jag Gym with the finale set for Friday at 6 p.m.

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