Oakwood's Murray, Philander Smith Duo take home Week 8 HBCUAC Volleyball awards

NEW ORLEANS - October 7, 2024 - Oakwood University's Kamaria Murray wins Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Attacker of the Week, Philander Smith University's Christlove Lauture claims HBCUAC Defender of the Week and Essence Wren garners HBCUAC Setter of the Week for their performances from September 30-October 6, the conference announced Monday.

Murray helped Oakwood to two conference victories over Rust College and Stillman College, recording double-digit kills in both matches. She had 11 in the sweep over Rust on Thursday and 13 in the victory over Stillman on Saturday. For the week, Murray hit .275 and .345 in HBCUAC matches. She ranks 14th in the conference with 1.98 kills per set.

Lauture averaged 5.86 digs per set in a 1-1 week for the Lady Panthers. She tallied 12 digs in a sweep over Southern University at New Orleans on Friday and 29 in a four-set match against Dillard University on Saturday. Lauture successfully received 50 of 52 serves. She is second in the conference with 4.19 digs per set.

Wren averaged 9.43 assists per set in Philander Smith's HBCUAC matches. She put up 26 in a sweep over SUNO and 40 in the four-set match against Dillard University. Wren also provided 18 digs and four service aces. She ranks second in the HBCUAC with 8.35 assists per set.

The conference would also like to recognize Talladega College's Giovana Costarelli and Fisk University's Trinity Britt who surpassed 1,000 career assists last week.

Additional HBCUAC volleyball weekly nominees: Taszia Adkinson (SUNO), Neveah Bax (Dillard), Chania Blair (Wilberforce), Trinity Britt (Fisk), Cameryn Bucknor (Oakwood), Zoie Chambers (Tougaloo), Maria Luiza Chaves (Wiley), A'Lon Clark (SUNO), Taylor Cousar (Tougaloo), T'aja Hardy (Wiley), Armoni Harris (SUNO), Maya Jones (Philander Smith), Jamaya Johnson (Wilberforce), Nanyelis Moreno (Dillard), Kaliyah Shavers (Tougaloo), Anani Sheppard (Wilberforce), Shyla Starks (Wiley), Nya St. Cyr (Dillard), Sydney Willis (Fisk)

2024 HBCUAC Volleyball Players of the Week

-HBCUAC-

About HBCU Athletic Conference

The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Oakwood University (AL), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.