LEXINGTON, Ky. – Gallaudet University senior outside hitter
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas) was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Women's Division III National Player of the Week on Tuesday, Nov. 10, following a career-best performance in the United East Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
Worley earned the national honor for the second time in her collegiate career, becoming the first Gallaudet women's volleyball player to receive the award twice. She previously received the recognition on Oct. 1, 2024, during her sophomore season.
The two-time United East Women's Volleyball Player of the Year recorded a career-high 33 kills in Gallaudet's 3-0 victory over Penn St.-Brandywine on Saturday, Nov. 7, on Padden Court inside the Field House. Her 33 kills finished just three shy of the NCAA Division III record for kills in a three-set match (36), a mark shared by three players and last accomplished in 2001.
Worley committed just two attack errors on 68 attempts for a .456 hitting percentage. She recorded 10 kills in the first set, 11 in the second and 12 in the third as the third-seeded Bison defeated the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions by set scores of 25-21, 25-20, 25-17.
The senior outside hitter accounted for 33 of Gallaudet's 50 kills (66 percent) and added eight digs and a service ace. She averaged 11 kills and 11.33 points per set during the three-set victory as the Bison advanced to the United East semifinals.
Worley has established herself as one of the most decorated players in Gallaudet women's volleyball history. She was named United East Women's Volleyball Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025, earned AVCA All-America honorable mention and AVCA All-Region first-team honors in both seasons and was selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America First Team in 2025 after earning third-team honors in 2024. She became the first Gallaudet women's volleyball player to receive multiple CSC Academic All-America honors.
The senior has received 13 United East Offensive Player of the Week awards during her career, including two this season (Sept. 14 and Oct. 19). She also earned United East Tournament Most Valuable Player honors in 2024.
Worley joins three former Bison standouts who have received the AVCA Division III National Player of the Week honor:
Tamijo Foronda (2006),
Karen Gilbert (1995) and
Dyan Kovacs (1994). All three are members of the Gallaudet Athletics Hall of Fame. Foronda's No. 9 jersey is one of two retired women's volleyball numbers in program history, along with No. 6 worn by
Ronda Jo Miller.
AVCA Division III National Player of the Week Honorees from Gallaudet
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