Clark-Bibbs Named espnW National Player of the Week

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Just ahead of the Razorbacks’ conference opener, senior middle blocker Chanell Clark-Bibbs has been selected as the espnW National Player of the Week after leading Arkansas to a pair of top-30 victories last weekend over then-No. 11 Wisconsin and Kansas State. Overall, the Houston, Texas, native posted a .443 hitting percentage with 4.69 points per set, 3.85 kills per set and 1.31 blocks per set.

Based on her standout efforts, Clark-Bibbs earned a spot on the Creighton Classic All-Tournament Team after totaling 50 kills including a career-high 24 kills at a .556 clip in the win over the Badgers. Her 24 kills are the highest total by an SEC middle blocker this season and third most overall. She finished the match with 29.0 points which ties the best mark in the conference this season. Clark-Bibbs had six of the team’s 11 kills in the fifth set. Arkansas’ win over Wisconsin marked the program’s first win over a top-15 team since 2007.

Clark-Bibbs began day two of the Creighton Classic with a then-season high of 19 kills in a win over Kansas State, a victory that snapped the program’s seven-match skid against the Wildcats. She also tied her career high with eight total blocks in the victory. Shaking off a rough start to the match, Clark-Bibbs responded to hit .500 with just one attack error over the final four sets of the K-State match.

Through the first four weeks of the 2015 season, Clark-Bibbs is ranked 12th in the NCAA with her .441 hitting percentage. In a show of her all-around play, the Razorback senior is currently ranked in the top 10 of the SEC in hitting percentage (fourth), blocks per set (fifth, 1.16) and points per set (eighth, 3.88). She has hit at least .308 in each match this season including five matches with a .500 or better hitting percentage.

She and the Razorbacks begin their SEC schedule Wednesday night with a road match at LSU. First serve of the midweek matchup is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CT) at the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge. The match will be televised on ESPNU, the first of eight television appearances during the conference season. Arkansas is 6-1 in SEC openers under eighth-year head coach Robert Pulliza including three road wins in that span.

For more information about Arkansas volleyball, follow @RazorbackVB on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.