CONFERENCE CAROLINAS ANNOUNCES BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, VOLLEYBALL, AND LACROSSE ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Mount Olive’s Hayes Named Men's Basketball Player of the Week
High Point, N.C. – Mount Olive College’s Craig Hayes has been selected as the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas men's basketball Player of the Week during week number 13 of the 2011-2012 season. Craig Hayes scored 31 points on 14-for-16 shooting before a near-capacity crowd of over 1,200 in Mount Olive’s 83-72 victory over Erskine. The Trojans went 2-0 last week to clinch second place in the East Division and a home game in the first round of next week’s Conference Carolinas Tournament. Hayes posted double-doubles in both Trojan wins, pulling down 12 rebounds against Erskine one game after tallying 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Trojans’ 83-67 victory over Barton in the annual “Battle of the East.” Hayes had two offensive rebounds and two defensive rebounds during a 15-0 first-half run against Barton. Against Erskine, Hayes was 10-of-11 from the field for 20 points in the first half. Hayes reached the 30-point mark for the fourth time in his career, three coming this season in conference play. Mount Olive is 17-7 overall on the season and 10-4 in league play.
Pfeiffer’s Cox Named Women's Basketball Player of the Week
High Point, N.C. – Pfeiffer’s Brittany Cox has been selected as the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Player of the Week during week number 13 of the 2011-2012 season. Pfeiffer University's Brittany Cox put together another sensational week on the hardwood averaging 28 points on 54% shooting in a crucial 2-0 week for the Lady Falcons. Trailing Coker by one game for the East Division’s final playoff spot, Cox and Pfeiffer entered a crucial divisional matchup with Queens dropping 27 points with seven rebounds. Cox shot 50% from the field, 60% hitting on six triples, adding four blocks in 35 minutes of action. Hosting King on Saturday, still trailing by one game in the standings, Cox drained 29 more points with six rebounds on 58% shooting hitting four more three's while going a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line. Cox finished the week averaging 28 points, 6.5 boards with 2.5 blocks and steals per game. The junior guard is now averaging a league-best 21.3 points per game. Cox and the Lady Falcons will head to Barton on Tuesday before wrapping up the regular-season with Coker on Friday night. Pfeiffer is currently 13-11 overall on the season and 8-7 in conference play.
King’s Roberts Named Baseball Player of the Week
High Point, N.C. - King College’s Carl Roberts has been selected as the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas Baseball Player of the Week during week number three of the 2012 season. In the Tornado's doubleheader with the Salem International University Tigers, Carl Roberts went a combined 5-for-7 with two runs scored and four RBI. He hit his first home run of the season, a two-run laser over the right field fence, to help King take and maintain an early lead in the 7-0 win. King went on to sweep the three game series over Salem to improve to 4-5 overall on the season.
Belmont Abbey’s Thiele Named Baseball Pitcher of the Week
High Point, N.C.—Belmont Abbey College’s Steven Thiele has been selected as the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas Baseball Pitcher of the Week during week number three of the 2012 season. Belmont Abbey starting pitcher Steven Thiele held Coker to just five hits over eight scoreless innings, while fanning seven as the Abbey defeated Coker 9-0 in the first game of a Conference Carolinas series. The senior from Miami, FL earned his first win on the year as the Abbey went on to sweep the series from the Cobras. Belmont Abbey is now 10-4 overall on the season and 3-0 in conference play.
Barton’s Morgan Named Softball Player of the Week
High Point, N.C.—Barton College’s Rebecka Morgan has been selected as the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas Softball Player of the Week during week number three of the 2012 season. Junior Rebecka Morgan went 5-for-6 with a home run and six RBI for Barton College in a doubleheader sweep against Virginia State University on Saturday. Morgan drove in two of the three Lady Bulldogs runs in the first game, 3-0 victory. She contributed an RBI-triple in the first and an RBI-double in the third. Morgan capped the day with a 3-for-3 performance including a walk, an RBI-single, and a three-run homer in the second as Barton completed the sweep with a 9-6 win. The Huntingtown, Md., product had a .857 on-base percentage for the week and a 1.833 slugging percentage. Barton is now 5-0 overall on the season.
Queens’ Phillip Named Women’s Lacrosse Player of the Week
High Point, N.C.—Queens University of Charlotte’s Brittany Philip has been selected as the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas Women’s Lacrosse Player of the Week during week number one of the 2012 season. Queens University of Charlotte is 2-0 in women's lacrosse action on the year after defeating Lenoir-Rhyne 10-5 and Erskine College 17-8. Brittany Philip led the Royals with 10 points on the week. She notched four against the Bears on three goals and one assists, while tallying six against conference foe Erskine on five goals and one assists. The Royals return to action on Wednesday, February 22 hosting league rival Belmont Abbey.
Limestone’s Jackson Named Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Week
High Point, N.C.—Limestone College’s Shayne Jackson has been selected as the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Week during week number one of the 2012 season. Limestone senior attack, Shayne Jackson has totaled 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) in leading the Saints to a 2-0 start while extending the teams NCAA DII South Region win streak to 34 games. Jackson, a 2012 Tewaaraton Award Watch nominee, scored a game high eight points in Limestone's 22-3 season opening win over Rollins on Saturday, February 11. In that contest the Bowmanville, Ontario native dished out seven assists and added one goal. He followed that performance with a contest best five points in a 14-4 victory Florida Southern on Saturday, February 18. Against the Mocs, he tallied three goals and assisted on two others. Over the first two games, Jackson's nine assists have been to five different goal scorers fueling a balanced attack and one that has outscored the first two opponents 36-7 tallying 61 total points on 62 shots-on-goal.
Pfeiffer’s Specian Named Men’s Volleyball Player of the Week
High Point, N.C.—Pfeiffer University’s David Specian has been selected as the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas Men’s Volleyball Player of the Week during week number three of the 2012 season. Pfeiffer University setter David Specian had a huge hand in continuing the Falcons' seven-game win streak with a perfect 5-0 week overall as Pfeiffer improved to 7-1, 5-0 in league play. Starting with a road matchup against the defending champs at Mount Olive, Specian helped rally the Falcons to a 3-2 win after being down early 2-0, by assisting a match-high 49 times in the five-set thriller adding nine digs, two block assists and a kill. In a Saturday tri-match at Eastern Mennonite, he added 40 assists in a 3-1 victory with nine more digs, three block assists and five kills from the front row. Later against Philly Bible in his one set of action, Specian handed out 10 helpers with two digs and a kill in another 3-1 win. Rounding out the week against Conference foes Limestone and Lees-McRae, he assisted 50 and 41 times in 3-1 league wins while adding six digs against the Saints and eight against the Bobcats. In the blocking department, Specian picked up two more block assists against Limestone and a solo stuff at Lees-McRae chipping in with four kills during each contest. For the week, Specian hit .440 with his 15 kills registering a monster 190 assists averaging 10.56/set. He dug up opponent attacks 34 times while picking up eight total blocks and two aces.
