OGDEN, Utah – After sweeping the weekend, the Northern Arizona volleyball team swept the conference's Player of the Week awards on Monday. Sophomore Abby Akin was selected as the Offensive Player of the Week, while freshman Heaven Harris earned the Defensive honor.
 
Both players were vital in NAU's perfect weekend as the 'Jacks knocked off Sacramento State and Portland State – two teams who had a combined two conference losses between them at the start of the week.
 
For Akin, it marked her third career weekly honor, but first on the offensive side as she received the defensive award twice as a freshman last season. Her first Offensive Player of the Week award was well-deserved as she was a complete force in the middle in the Lumberjacks' victories last week. Akin hit .429 – the best among all Lumberjacks – and totaled 27 kills at an average of 3.00 per set in the two matches.
 
Akin had her best offensive match of her career to help NAU hand Sacramento State its first conference loss of the season and end a streak of 18 consecutive Big Sky regular season victories last Thursday. Akin torched the Hornets for a career-best 16 kills without committing an error in 26 swings. She attacked at a season-high .615 clip as part of an NAU performance that posted a 14 kill advantage over Sacramento State, who entered the night with the second-most kills in the nation.
 
The Phoenix native then tallied her second double-digit kill performance of the weekend against Portland State on Saturday with seven of her 11 kills in the first two sets as the Lumberjacks nabbed a 2-0 lead that they would not give up.
 
Meanwhile, Harris was honored by the conference office for the first time in her career following a season-best blocking effort. In addition to another dominant offensive performance that included 32 kills on .358 hitting, Harris' blocking was absolutely critical in leading the 'Jacks to a pair of victories over the league's top two teams in terms of kills.
 
Harris paced the Lumberjacks with 14 blocks at an average of 1.56 per set, which is even more impressive considering her position on the right side. With Harris' stout defensive effort at the forefront, the Lumberjacks outkilled both Sacramento State and Portland State while limiting them to a combined .173 clip and 12.33 kills per set over the two matches. Prior to the week, the Hornets and Vikings were hitting a combined .272 and averaging 15.32 kills per set.
 
The first-year opposite hitter out of Phoenix started the week by besting her previous high with seven blocks against previously unbeaten Sacramento State. Three of her seven blocks came in the decisive fifth set, including a stuff on match point to clinch the 16-14 fifth set victory. Harris then equaled her seven block output against Portland State to cap the weekend.
 
Catch Akin and Harris in action along with the rest of the Lumberjack volleyball team at home in the Rolle Activity Center on Thursday versus Weber State at 7 p.m.