Guereca Earns MW Offensive Player of the Week
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Saving the best for last. After a masterful week by New Mexico outside hitter Uxue Guereca, the Mountain West has named the Lobo the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
It is the first offensive weekly conference honor for the redshirt-sophomore, but the second career one for Guereca, who earned the defensive award last season on Feb. 8 to open the season.
Guereca tallied 45 kills, two service aces, 20 digs six total blocks and a total of 50.0 points, an average of 5.0 kills per set, 2.22 digs per set and 5.56 points per set. She hit .452 in both matches.
Against Air Force, the outside hitter was an absolute force, recording a match- and career-high 23 kills with just four errors on 42 attacks for a .452 hitting percentage, and recorded her seventh double-double of the year with 10 digs. In the fourth set, when the Lobos needed to win the set to extend the match, Guereca led with five kills, and in the pivotal fifth set against the Falcons, Guereca registered seven kills and hit .875 (7-0-8).
Guereca followed that up with another solid stat line, leading the match at Fresno State with 22 kills, two service aces, and a .452 hitting percentage (22-3-42), while adding 10 digs for her second double-double of the week. In the big moments, Guereca again delivered. When Fresno State closed within one at 23-22 in the third set, Guereca tallied consecutive kills for the 25-22 set win to take the 2-1 lead in the match. In the fourth set, Guereca closed with two kills and a service ace in the final five points in the 25-17 set win.
To date, the Lobos have won a conference-high eight MW weekly conference honors, with Kaitlynn Biassou named MW Offensive Player of the Week twice (Aug. 30 and Oct. 11), Alena Moldan named MW Defensive Player of the Week three times (Aug. 30, Oct. 11 and Nov. 1), Elizabeth Woods named MW Freshman of the Week twice (Sept. 6 and Nov. 1) and Uxue Guereca earning MW Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 22). UNM has earned multiple awards in the same week three times.
The eight weekly conference awards to date marks the most in a single season in program history for the Lobos.