Madkin Earns SEC Freshman of the Week Honors

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (arkansasrazorbacks.com) – With another solid outing in SEC play, redshirt freshman Aniya Madkin has been named the SEC volleyball Freshman of the Week.

The honor is the first for Madkin in her career and Arkansas’ first Freshman of the Week nod since Courtney Jackson in 2021. Arkansas has now claimed weekly SEC awards in four of six weeks in the 2024 season, two Defensive Player of the Week selections and one Offensive Player of the Week.

In Arkansas’ lone match of the week, Madkin posted a team-high 25 kills (6.25/set) and hit an impressive .385 in the Hogs’ 3-1 victory over Oklahoma in Norman on Sunday. It was the fifth match in a row in which Madkin led Arkansas in kills and her second 20+ kill outing of the season.

Aniya is currently ninth in the SEC in kills per set in with 3.81 and is first in conference-only matches in kills per set with 5.58. She is the only freshman player in the top 10 for kills per set in the SEC standings and checks in at 70th nationally.

Arkansas is currently 13-2 on the season and 3-0 in SEC play, the Hogs’ second straight three-win start in the league and third under Jason Watson. They are back in action at Barnhill Arena this Sunday against Alabama for the team’s annual Pink Match. First serve is set for 3 p.m. and the match will be broadcast live on SEC Network+.