IRVINE, Calif. – An 8-0 start has helped the Chaminade University women's volleyball team earn the first weekly honors of the 2023 season.
The Silverswords were named the Pacific West Conference Team of the Week while right-side hitter
Ajack Malual (Rome, Italy/Tambosi ETI) was named the conference's Player of the Week.
Malual earned her first PacWest weekly award after averaging 3.50 kills during the first two weekends of the season including a 3.79 kills average this past weekend at the Hawai'i Challenge. The sophomore also hit .347 over the weekend and also tallied 12 blocks, 16 digs and three service aces. Against American International in the Hawai'i Challenge finale, she put down a career-high 17 kills and hit .464 against American International.
The Team of the Week award is the sixth overall for Chaminade since the honor began in 2022. The 'Swords, who on Monday broke into the AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II national rankings at No. 20, are off to the program's best start since a school-record 9-0 to begin 2018. Three of their victories have been against Alaska Anchorage (twice) and Cal Poly Pomona, both of whom are also ranked in the D-II poll.
Chaminade departs for Southern California in its final non-conference matches of the regular season at the Cal Poly Pomona/Azusa Pacific Crossover. The Silverswords will face San Francisco State (3-1) and Northwest Nazarene (4-0) in Pomona on Friday and Cal State East Bay (2-2) in Azusa on Saturday.
