Volleyball Earns Freshman and Libero of the Week Honors
8/31/2026 4:35:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Following a strong opening weekend for USC Upstate volleyball, Sophia Spivey and Sophia Overholt have earned weekly honors from the Big South Conference, the league announced Monday. Spivey was named the Big South Freshman of the Week, while Overholt earned Big South Libero of the Week honors.
The duo helped the Spartans open the 2026 season with a 2-1 record, earning victories over Old Dominion and Norfolk State before closing the weekend against St. John's.
Spivey Named Freshman of the Week
Spivey made an immediate impact during her first weekend in a Spartan uniform, appearing in all three matches and totaling 26 kills across 11 sets. She averaged 2.36 kills per set while hitting .262 and added 11 digs, four total blocks and a service ace for 29.0 points.
The freshman opened her collegiate career with six kills, six digs and three block assists in Upstate's five-set victory over Old Dominion. She followed with the standout performance of her opening weekend against Norfolk State.
Spivey erupted for 18 kills on just 29 attacks while committing only one error, hitting .586 in the Spartans' 3-1 victory. She also added five digs, one service ace and a block assist, accounting for 19.5 points in the win.
She closed the weekend against St. John's, making her first career start and recording two kills across two sets.
Spivey's opening weekend: 26 kills | 2.36 kills/set | .262 hitting percentage | 11 digs | 4.0 blocks | 1 ace | 29.0 points
Overholt Named Libero of the Week
Overholt anchored the Spartan back row throughout all three matches, finishing the weekend with 63 digs across 13 sets for an average of 4.85 digs per set. She recorded at least 17 digs in each match and posted back-to-back 20-dig performances in Upstate's two victories.
She began the season with a weekend-high 24 digs in Upstate's five-set win over Old Dominion. Overholt followed later that day with 22 digs in four sets against Norfolk State, averaging 5.50 digs per set while also contributing eight assists and a service ace in the 3-1 victory.
Against St. John's, Overholt added another 17 digs while making an impact from the service line with a weekend-high three aces. She also handled 17 reception attempts without committing a reception error in the match.
For the weekend, Overholt handled 87 reception attempts while posting a .931 reception percentage. Her 63 digs accounted for nearly one-third of Upstate's team total as she provided a consistent presence in serve receive and defensively throughout the Spartans' 13 sets.
Overholt's opening weekend: 63 digs | 4.85 digs/set | 87 reception attempts | .931 reception percentage | 9 assists | 4 service aces
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