SAN MATEO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference has named its University Credit Union Volleyball Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for March 8, 2021. 
 
UCU #WCCSPORTS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – RACHEL AHRENS, JR., OPP – PEPPERDINE
Junior Rachel Ahrens led the Waves to a pair of WCC wins over Gonzaga this week, including a career-high kill effort on Saturday. She also helped Pepperdine force five sets by leading the Waves' attack against No. 6 Baylor on Sunday. For the week, she averaged 4.00 kills/set on a .267 clip, while impressing with 0.46 aces, 0.54 digs and 0.38 blocks/set for 4.7 total points/set. Throughout 13 sets of action, Ahrens posted 52 kills with 21 errors on 116 total swings for a .267 success rate. She added six aces, seven digs and five blocks for 60.5 points. Against the Bears, Ahrens led the team with 15 kills, while adding a block and dig and posting five errorless serve receptions. In the three-set opener against the Zags, she posted a season-high five ace, while adding 10 kills with only two errors on 20 swings for a .400 output. She also produced two blocks and a dig in the match. On the final day in Firestone, Ahrens led the squad with a career-high 27 kills on a powerful .358 hitting percentage. She tabbed four or more kills in every set, including a 6-0-8 (.750) line to help the Waves win the fifth set. The rightside also marked five digs, two blocks, an ace and eight errorless serve receptions in the match.
  
Also Nominated: Whitney Bower, BYU; Chapin Gray, Gonzaga
 
UCU #WCCSPORTS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – MADISON SHIELDS, JR., L – PEPPERDINE
Madison Shields helped the Waves to a pair of WCC wins over Gonzaga over the weekend and led the back row on both sides of the net in the five-setter against #6 Baylor on the road. In 13 sets played, she averaged 3.69 digs/set and 0.77 assists/set, while tabbing 48 total digs and 10 total assists for the Waves. In the first match against the Bears, she marked 22 digs, while tabbing four assists and marking 37 errorless serve receptions. In the three-set opener against the Zags, Shields put in 12 digs, three assists and nine service receptions without an error. In the final five-setter against the Bulldogs, she was good for 14 digs and three assists, while marking 40 service receptions with one error.

Also Nominated: None
 
2020-21 UCU #WCCSPORTS Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week 
March 8: Rachel Ahrens, Pepperdine
March 1: Shannon Scully, Pepperdine
February 22: Grace Frohling, San Diego
February 15: Roxie Wiblin, San Diego
February 8: Rachel Ahrens, Pepperdine
February 1: Rachel Ahrens, Pepperdine
 
2020-21 UCU #WCCSPORTS Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week 
March 8: Madison Shields, Pepperdine
March 1: Madison Shields, Pepperdine
February 22: Meg Brown, Pepperdine
February 15: Madi Allen, BYU
February 8: Madison Shields, Pepperdine
February 1: Madi Allen, BYU