PACWEST VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY NOTEBOOK
 
IRVINE, Calif. -- The PacWest won a total of 15 matches at the 2019 D2 Volleyball Showcase and four teams have winning records as teams get ready for the start of the conference season.
 
Azusa Pacific and Concordia both went 3-1 at the tournament and had players on the all-tournament team. Bailey Henington recorded a league-best 97 digs  for Azusa Pacific in the tournament, including 41 against Cal State East Bay. Concordia’s Mackenzie Jensen had a league-leading attack percentage of .516 on the week.
 
Academy of Art, Hawai`i Hilo and Chaminade all had two wins in the tournament. Hawai`i Hilo took two sets off of No. 2 Western Washington and Academy of Art had four match points against UC San Diego in a match televised nationally on ESPN3.
 
The 2019 PacWest season will begin on Wednesday with Concordia hosting Point Loma and Dominican hosting Notre Dame de Namur.
 
Chaminade will begin its quest for the PacWest title on Thursday at home against Hawai`i Pacific, which is looking to snap a three-match skid. Both teams will then travel to the big island to face Hawai`i Hilo.
 
Preseason conference favorite Azusa Pacific will begin its title defense on Saturday at home against Point Loma. Biola starts conference play on the road against Holy Names and Academy of Art, while Concordia and Fresno Pacific also spend the weekend in the Bay Area on Friday and Saturday.    
 
Weekly Awards for the week of Sept. 9-15
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ashley Pawlak, Academy of Art
OH, Jr., 5-7 -- Aiea, Hawaii
Pawlak helped Academy of Art earn its first two matches of the season at the D2 Volleyball Showcase in the UC San Diego pod. Pawlak recorded a conference-best 64 kills on the week. The junior had 19 kills against both Saint Martin’s and UC San Diego as the Urban Knights split the five-set matches. In the win against Saint Martin’s, Pawlak finished with 19 kills, 25 digs and two blocks. She added four aces in the win against Montana State Billings. Pawlak recorded double-digit kills in all four matches and is averaging 12 digs per match this season.
 
DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Bailey Henington, Azusa Pacific
L, Sr., 5-3 -- Sonora, Calif.
Henington was named to the all-tournament team for the D2 Volleyball Showcase after helping Azusa Pacific win three of four matches. In the Cougars’ four-set win over Cal State East Bay, Henington recorded 41 digs, which is the most digs by a PacWest athlete in a single match in four years. The senior libero finished the week with 97 digs, which was the most in the conference and gives her the second most digs in the nation. Henington also recorded 17 assists in the Cougars’ four matches last week.
 
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Mackenzie Jensen, Concordia
MB, Fr., 6-3 -- Monrovia, Calif.
In the second week of her collegiate volleyball career, Jensen was among the PacWest leaders in hitting percentage, blocks and digs as she helped Concordia win three of four matches and earned all-tournament honors. The freshman is the PacWest leader in hitting percentage at .427 on the season, which is on pace to break the PacWest record. She had 23 kills with no errors in the first three matches.