Photo by: Jeff Golden
Ahrens Garners Program's First-Ever AVCA National Weekly Honor
11/9/2021 3:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
MALIBU, Calif. — The accolades keep rolling in for senior Rachel Ahrens this week, as she garnered the Pepperdine women's volleyball program's first-ever AVCA National Player of the Week honor, as announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Tuesday afternoon.Â
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The Waves have earned one other national weekly honor in program history with the NCAA Player of the Week award after Jazmine Orozco accomplished the feat in 2012.  This season, Pepperdine has earned six total weekly West Coast Conference awards, including two offensive honors this season for Ahrens. She's had seven WCC weekly nods throughout her career in total.
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Ahrens was nearly clutch last week for the Waves, leading the squad to a pair of conference wins over Saint Mary's and Pacific. She posted a remarkable 6.43 kills/set on a .351 success rate in those seven sets of action, while amassing 0.29 aces, 1.71 digs and 0.71 blocks per set. Throughout the week, she totaled 49.5 points for 7.1 points/set. Ahrens posted 45 kills with only 11 errors on 97 swings, along with 12 digs, five blocks and two aces as well.
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Against Saint Mary's, Ahrens marked a staggering 30 kills and 7.50 kills/set, with only seven errors on 56 swings for a .411 success rate. It was only the third time a Wave has hit for 30 or more kills in program history, and the first time a Wave had accomplished the feat in 13 years - since 2008. That accomplishment is now ranked 3rd in the Pepperdine women's volleyball record books for most kills in a single match, and second in the record books for the same category in a four-set match. Â That wasn't all for Ahrens, however, as she also added eight digs, two blocks and an ace for 32.0 total points to average 2.00 digs, 0.50 blocks and 0.25 aces for 8.0 points per set in the match.
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In the sweep over Pacific on Saturday, she kept with the heavy attack, posting 15 kills on a .268 to average 5.00 kills/set in the match. She also marked four digs, three blocks and an ace for 17.5 total points, averaging 1.33 digs, 1.00 blocks, 0.33 aces and 5.8 points per set throughout the match.
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The Waves have a big week on the road this week, trekking up to challenge #5 BYU in Provo on Thursday, before heading down to take on #19 San Diego on Saturday.Â
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Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter @WavesVolleyball for immediate updates, recaps and more.
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The Waves have earned one other national weekly honor in program history with the NCAA Player of the Week award after Jazmine Orozco accomplished the feat in 2012.  This season, Pepperdine has earned six total weekly West Coast Conference awards, including two offensive honors this season for Ahrens. She's had seven WCC weekly nods throughout her career in total.
Â
Ahrens was nearly clutch last week for the Waves, leading the squad to a pair of conference wins over Saint Mary's and Pacific. She posted a remarkable 6.43 kills/set on a .351 success rate in those seven sets of action, while amassing 0.29 aces, 1.71 digs and 0.71 blocks per set. Throughout the week, she totaled 49.5 points for 7.1 points/set. Ahrens posted 45 kills with only 11 errors on 97 swings, along with 12 digs, five blocks and two aces as well.
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Against Saint Mary's, Ahrens marked a staggering 30 kills and 7.50 kills/set, with only seven errors on 56 swings for a .411 success rate. It was only the third time a Wave has hit for 30 or more kills in program history, and the first time a Wave had accomplished the feat in 13 years - since 2008. That accomplishment is now ranked 3rd in the Pepperdine women's volleyball record books for most kills in a single match, and second in the record books for the same category in a four-set match. Â That wasn't all for Ahrens, however, as she also added eight digs, two blocks and an ace for 32.0 total points to average 2.00 digs, 0.50 blocks and 0.25 aces for 8.0 points per set in the match.
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In the sweep over Pacific on Saturday, she kept with the heavy attack, posting 15 kills on a .268 to average 5.00 kills/set in the match. She also marked four digs, three blocks and an ace for 17.5 total points, averaging 1.33 digs, 1.00 blocks, 0.33 aces and 5.8 points per set throughout the match.
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The Waves have a big week on the road this week, trekking up to challenge #5 BYU in Provo on Thursday, before heading down to take on #19 San Diego on Saturday.Â
Â
Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter @WavesVolleyball for immediate updates, recaps and more.
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ÂHave ya heard?! @rahrenss is the Pepperdine women's volleyball program's first-ever @AVCAVolleyball NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK this week!
— Pepperdine Women's Volleyball (@WavesVolleyball) November 9, 2021
*dusts off Rachel's shoulders*#WavesUp #PeppProud pic.twitter.com/07Waapq0Ek
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