WEEK 4 RELEASE
JERSEY CITY, NJ...Senior outside hitter RYAN MURDIE (Kenmore, NY) of Medaille College and freshman middle blocker ROBERT KRAFT (Waretown, NJ) of Nazareth College have been selected as the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Conference Player and Rookie of the Week for week four of the 2010 season.
Murdie was selected as the NECVA Conference Player of the Week for the first time this year and the Western Division Player of the Week for the second time in four weeks after averaging 5.43 points, 4.64 kills, 0.91 digs and 0.68 blocks with a .374 attack percentage in a 4-2 week for Medaille—with five matches against Top 15 ranked opponents. He had 14 kills (14-4-23, .435) and two blocks on February 3 in a road sweep of Nazareth and added 10 kills two days later at D’Youville, another 3-0 win. He was outstanding in the Golden Flyer Invitational. He opened with 23 kills, a .472 percentage (23-6-36), three blocks and three aces in a sweep of Rivier before landing 16 kills (.433, 16-3-30) and two blocks in a 3-2 loss to #3 UC-Santa Cruz. In a 3-0 win over Stevens, he achieved a .519 attack percentage and 17 kills (17-3-27). The 6-foot-6 senior concluded the week with 22 kills (.245), six digs and four blocks in a 3-2 loss to Nazareth.
Kraft, a 6-foot-7 freshman middle, earns his first NECVA Conference Player of the Week and Western Division Rookie of the Week awards after earning All-Tournament Team honors at the Golden Flyer Invitational. In 19 sets in a 3-2 week for Nazareth, he hit .434, averaging 3.66 points, 2.53 kills, 1.11 blocks and 0.53 aces per set. He opened the week with five kills, a .444 percentage and four blocks in a loss to Medaille. In a 3-1 win over Vassar he slammed 16 kills (16-1-21), hit .714, and added seven blocks. In a 3-2 decision against Eastern Mennonite, he had six kills, four blocks and three aces. Kraft wrapped up the week in a 3-2 win over Medaille by collecting 16 kills (16-3-29), .448 percentage, five blocks and five aces.
The NECVA Conference Player and Rookie of the Week is selected by the league office each Tuesday throughout the season based on the five divisional winners in the two categories in the CUNYAC, GNAC, Metro, New England and Western Divisions. All 43 active members of the league are eligible for weekly honors.