KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sophia Giorgio of Avila (Mo.) has been named the PrestoSports NAIA Women’s Volleyball Defender of the Week after producing a historic week in the back row and helping the Eagles continue their impressive start to the season.
The senior libero totaled 112 digs across five matches while averaging 6.59 digs per set. Giorgio also contributed 25 assists and five service aces as the Eagles posted a 4-1 record during the week.
Giorgio’s headline performance came in Avila’s five-set victory over Stephens on Aug. 25. The veteran libero recorded a career-high 50 digs, one of the most remarkable single-match defensive efforts in program history. In addition to her defensive dominance, she added 12 assists and a service ace to help lead the Eagles to the win.
She continued her stellar play throughout the remainder of the week, collecting 23 digs and two aces in a straight-set victory over Hesston (Kan.) before adding six digs in another sweep against Central Christian (Kan.). Giorgio followed with 21 digs against Paul Quinn (Texas) and capped the week with 12 more digs in a win over Mission (Mo.).
Beyond her defensive numbers, Giorgio was a key catalyst in Avila’s early-season success. The Eagles have already secured seven victories this season after totaling just five wins during the entire 2025 campaign. Her steady presence in serve receive and ability to extend rallies have been instrumental in the team’s turnaround.
For the week, Giorgio posted a .945 reception percentage while handling 91 reception attempts, consistently providing stability against opposing serves. She reached double-digit digs in four of five matches and surpassed the 20-dig mark three times, highlighted by her record-setting effort against Stephens.
| Match |
m |
s |
k |
k/s |
e |
ta |
pct |
a |
a/s |
sta |
se |
sa |
sa/s |
r |
re |
rpt |
digs |
d/s |
bs |
ba |
tot |
b/s |
pts |
pts/s |
| Aug 25 at Stephens W, 3-2 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
0 |
- |
12 |
2.40 |
19 |
1 |
1 |
0.20 |
25 |
1 |
.960 |
50 |
10.00 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
1.0 |
0.2 |
| Aug 28 vs. Hesston College W, 3-0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
5 |
1.67 |
17 |
1 |
2 |
0.67 |
20 |
1 |
.950 |
23 |
7.67 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
2.0 |
0.7 |
| Aug 28 at Central Christian (KS) W, 3-0 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
0.67 |
0 |
2 |
1.000 |
1 |
0.33 |
15 |
2 |
1 |
0.33 |
16 |
2 |
.875 |
6 |
2.00 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
3.0 |
1.0 |
| Aug 29 at Paul Quinn L, 3-0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
5 |
1.67 |
14 |
0 |
1 |
0.33 |
17 |
1 |
.941 |
21 |
7.00 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
1.0 |
0.3 |
| Aug 29 at Mission (Mo.) W, 3-0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
2 |
0.67 |
10 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
13 |
0 |
1.000 |
12 |
4.00 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
| Conference |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Overall |
5 |
17 |
2 |
0.12 |
0 |
5 |
.400 |
25 |
1.47 |
75 |
5 |
5 |
0.29 |
91 |
5 |
.945 |
112 |
6.59 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
7.0 |
0.4 |
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
ABOUT THE KANSAS COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and sponsors 29 varsity sports. Founded in 1890, the KCAC is the second oldest intercollegiate athletic conference in the country. As the conference home to 14 member institutions, the KCAC emphasizes commitment, cooperation, high achievement, and working towards a common goal in the act of competition. To keep up with the latest conference news, follow the KCAC on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram using the handle @kcacsports.
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