VIDEO: Rachel Harper Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – With the Eagles off to its best South Atlantic Conference start in over a decade, senior outside hitter Rachel Harper (Chattanooga, Tenn.) has been named the SAC Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks leading Carson-Newman to a 3-0 league start.

Harper is the first player in Carson-Newman history to win the award multiple times in one season. Stephanie Cutter won the Specialist of the Week honor three times in 2009.

"I think that it shows that our team is doing very well this season," Harper said about the accolade. "We are very solid all the way around which allows me and all of the other hitters, defensive players and setters to do their job well."

In sweeps over Tusculum, Queens and Catawba, Harper posted an impressive .434 attack percentage while averaging 4.44 kills per set to go along with 22 digs. Harper started the week with 14 kills, nine digs and a pair of block assists as the Eagles swept the Pioneers for the first time in seven years. The preseason first team All-SAC pick notched 12 kills on a .474 attack percentage and six digs in a sweep of Queens and capped the week with 13 kills, a .478 attack percentage, four aces and seven digs in a three-set win at Catawba.

Harper leads the conference by a significant margin with 4.15 kills per set and 4.8 points per frame. So far this season, the senior is hitting .376 which ranks fifth in the SAC and in conference matches that number shoots up to .434, good for fourth in the league.

Nationally, Harper is 33^rd in the all of Division II with a .376 attack percentage, 12^th with 4.83 points per set and 16^th in all the land with 4.15 kills per set.

The Chattanooga, Tenn. native needs just 31 kills to pierce the 1,000 kill mark for her career.

- CN -