Two-time defending PacWest champion Chaminade rolled to four more wins to improve to 8-0 on the young season to earn Team of the Week. 6-foot-1 Ajack Malual pounded down 53 kills for Player of the Week honors and Biola's sophomore libero Bri Bellfi averaged over five digs a set to be voted in as Defender of the Week.

2023 Results/Schedule
2023 Standings
2023 Statistics
2023 AVCA National Poll
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Chaminade's Ajack Malual, RS, 6-1, So., Rome, Italy                                                                    
Sophomore left-hander Ajack Malual had another consistent run in four matches last week for the unbeaten Silverswords. The Italian totaled 53 kills in 14 sets for a 3.79 average, and did so with a sizzling .346 hitting percentage. Malual had 16 kills with a .367 attack rate in a win over then-No. 23 Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday, and later in the day added 17 kills with a .464 kill rate against American International. On the season (eight matches), the 2022 Second Team All-PacWest selection ranks second in the conference in hitting percentage (.376), is third in points per set (4.29) and is sixth in kills per set (3.50).

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: Biola's Bri Bellfi, DS-L, 5-6, So., Murreita, Calif.                                                                        
Biola went 2-1 during their opening weekend of 2023, using solid defense from their sophomore libero. Bri Bellfi totaled 66 digs in three matches (5.08 per set), including a career-high 28 digs in the first match of the campaign, a 3-2 win over CS San Marcos. The second-year starter had 22 digs in a 3-1 loss to Lewis and added 16 in a 3-1 victory over Seattle Pacific. The second-year starter, who ranked third in the 2022 PacWest digs list with 3.96 per set, is off to a sizzling start in 2023 with 5.08 per game, second in the conference.
 
TEAM OF THE WEEK: The Chaminade Silverswords                                                                                                                
The PacWest Team of the Week is Chaminade, who rolled to four more victories, this time at home. The Silverswords topped Simon Fraser (3-1), Sonoma State (3-0), No. 23 Cal Poly Pomona (3-0) and American International (3-1), a team that won 30 matches a year ago. Three of Chaminade's eight wins are against nationally ranked squads (two against Alaska Ancorage last week), and the 'Swords were rewarded today with a No. 20 ranking in the AVCA poll. That is Chaminade's highest listing since 2005 when they were 18th. Coach Kahala Kabalis Hoke's team has dropped only four sets in eight matches thus far. Chaminade leads the PacWest in the early weeks with a .296 hitting percentage, 13.89 kills per set and 12.75 assists per set.

PACWEST NEWS AND NOTES: In addition to Chaminade, three PacWest teams began 2023 on the winning side of the ledger. Concordia begins 3-1 while Biola, Point Loma and Westmont are 2-1. Kirra Schulz and Kennedy Farley powered the Golden Eagles, with Farley tallying three double-doubles with 46 total kills and an impressive 25 digs against CS Dominguez Hills. Schulz had 59 kills and Halli Hooks had 20 total blocks. Schulz and Farley were named to the Golden Eagle Invitational All-Tournament Team, as was Azusa Pacific's Annaka Jorgenson...First-year member Westmont recorded its first Division II victory against Minnesota State-Mankato (3-1) and also outlasted CS Monterey Bay, 3-2...Biola's only loss was to Lewis, a team receiving votes in this week's AVCA poll...Point Loma also fell to Lewis, but topped Seattle Pacific and CS San Marcos...Chaminade's Hula Crisostomo had 27 digs against American International and also zipped in four service aces. Teammate Greta Corti had four aces as well...Hawai`i Pacific's Marley Sandoval had 19 kills against American International and Academy of Art's Maya McClellan had the same numbers versus Western New Mexico. 

LOOKING AHEAD: Non-conference play continues this week with PacWest teams playing in tournaments in Fairbanks, at Sonoma State, Azusa, San Marcos, Pomona and Grand Junction, Colo.