Szczepaniak again named ICCAC Athlete of the Week
Comets outside is second in conference in kills and kills/set
For the second time in three weeks, Jagoda Szczepaniak earned ICCAC Athlete of the Week honors.
The sophomore outside helped Western Iowa Tech to a pair of crucial conference victories during the week of September 23-29. The Comets are tied for third in the ICCAC with a 4-1 conference record. They carry a four-game win streak into Ellsworth tonight. The Panthers are seventh in the conference with a 2-3 record.
The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be streamed here: https://www.youtube.com/@EllsworthCommunityCollege
Szczepaniak totaled 32 kills and a .246 hitting percentage across wins against North Iowa Area on September 24 and Iowa Lakes two days later. The Comets beat the Trojans in five in Mason City and swept the Lakers in Sioux City.
"It's very exciting to see Jagoda recognized for the second time this season," head coach Laurel Durst said. "With us entering the second half of conference play this week and the consistency she has shown, I expect her to continue to compete with the top group of outsides in our conference.
"She has proven she can be an effective player offensively and defensively even against the tougher opponents we have played so far."
Szczepaniak is second in the ICCAC in total kills (240) and kills per set (3.29). Tonight she'll face the only outside to rank above her in each category. The Panters' Ana Cuartero is top in the conference with 267 kills and 3.76 kills/set. Szczepaniak has been the more efficient offensive weapon so far, hitting a .262 percentage versus .216 for Cuartero.
The Athlete of the Week award wasn't won on offense alone. Szczepaniak totaled 46 digs across eight sets, giving her an impressive 5.75 digs per set last week, and 3.44 digs per set on the season.
Durst expects Szczepaniak's six-rotation game to translate well to the university level.
"I believe she can step in and make an impact right away at the next level," Durst said. "Her ability to execute and find open court consistently sets her apart from other players. Aside from her skill set, she also always has a great attitude and is a very selfless player, which I think will take her far at her next program."