Bosetti, Rodriguez garner national player of the week honors

Photo courtesy of Tom Hagerty, Polk State College
Photo courtesy of Tom Hagerty, Polk State College

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (September 13, 2018) - Polk State College's Chiara Bosetti and Daytona State College's Nicole Rodriguez took home NJCAA Division I Volleyball Player of the Week honors on Wednesday.

Bosetti was named the NJCAA Division I Offensive Player of the Week while Rodriguez was named the Division I Defensive Player of the Week, the second straight week a Region 8 player has won the latter. 

Bosetti, a sophomore outside hitter from Albizzate, Italy, averaged 4.7 kills and 2.9 digs in 13 sets over four matches. She helped Polk State to wins in all four matches at the Lee College Invitational.

Bosetti posted a pair of 20+ nights in the kill column and had two double-doubles (kills/digs) - 20 kills and 12 digs vs. Lee; 23 kills and 15 digs vs. Panola.

Rodriguez, a freshman libero from Kissimmee, Fla., averaged 6.2 digs in 22 sets over six matches. She recorded double-digit digs in each match, including three entries into the 25 Dig Club, capped by a 38-dig effort vs. Hillsborough. 

Rodriguez currently leads Region 8 in total digs. 

From a poll perspective, Region 8 continued to build momentum. 

Two-time defending national champion Miami Dade College remained atop the Division I poll and leads a quartet of Region 8 schools in the top 25. Santa Fe College entered the top ten at No. 9 while Daytona State College went from unranked to No. 12. Polk State climbed three spots to No. 15. 

In the Division II poll, Region 8 placed two teams in the rankings for the first-time ever. 

Traditional power Pasco-Hernando State College climbed one spot to No. 7 while St. Johns River State College, new to Division II in 2018, made its poll debut at No. 18.