KANSAS CITY – For the second time this season, Missouri Western swept the MIAA Volleyball Players of the Week honors. Freshman Ali Tauchen was named Hitter of the Week and Sophomore Lauren Murphy was tabbed as Specialist of the Week. Missouri Western beat Missouri Southern 3-1 last Friday and swept Southwest Baptist on Saturday. The Griffons have now won nine straight matches and 13 of their last 14.

Tauchen finished the weekend with a hitting percentage of .553, averaged 3.29 kills per set and had 23 kills. In a win against the Lions on Friday, she had 15 kills and hit .500 for the match. Tauchen recorded eight kills and had a hitting percentage .667 against the Bearcats. She also tallied 11 blocks in the two victories and earned her first ever MIAA Hitter of the Week honor.

For Murphy, it is the second time she has been named MIAA Specialist of the Week as she honored for the first time on Oct. 2. She paced the MWSU offense with 87 assists and averaged 12.43 assists per set. Murphy recorded 52 assists in the win over MSSU, her highest total in a four-set match this season. In the win at SBU, she had 35 assists with two kills. Murphy also had nine digs, a block and a service ace on the weekend.

Missouri Western, who is 20-9 and 14-2 in the MIAA, closes out the regular season with a pair of home matches this weekend. The first match is Friday against Fort Hays State and the season finale is Saturday against No. 5 Nebraska Kearney.

— MWSU Athletics —