JONESBORO, Ark. (9/10/24) – After helping the Arkansas State volleyball team to a 5-1 start to the season for the third year in a row, senior libero Sarah Martinez earned Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Martinez averaged a league-leading 5.82 digs per set to help A-State go 2-1 at the Blue Raider Bash over the weekend, totaling 64 digs to earn All-Tournament distinction. She recorded three straight outings of 20-plus digs, running her season total to four – all occurring in the last four contests.
The Flower Mound, Texas, native leads the Sun Belt in both total digs (117) and digs per set (5.09), ranking 12th and 15th nationally in each category, respectively. She has also helped A-State lead the league in opposing hitting percentage, holding foes to a league-low .151 clip on the attack. Opponents also averaged a league-least 10.26 kills per set against the Red Wolves.
Martinez is A-State's first weekly award winner since Kaitlin Whitlock earned Offensive Player of the Week laurels on Nov. 14 of last season. She is the first Red Wolf since Tatum Ticknor in 2021 to be named Defensive Player of the Week.
NEXT UP
Arkansas State is riding a 5-1 start to the campaign for the third year in a row. The Red Wolves continue their nine-match road swing Friday, traveling to Florence, Ala., for the UNA Volleyball Classic. Friday features a doubleheader against host North Alabama (10 a.m.) and Jacksonville State (4 p.m.) ahead of a Saturday weekend finale versus UAB (Noon). Friday's match against UNA will be shown on ESPN Plus.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow the team on Twitter (@AStateVB) and Instagram (astatevb) along with liking the Arkansas State Red Wolves Volleyball page on Facebook for the latest news and updates regarding the team.
