Cockrell, Pashkova Net Big South Weekly Honors
September 22, 2014 | Volleyball
CHARLOTTE --- Senior Tyler Cockrell (Tulsa, Okla.) has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Player of the Week, and junior Anna Pashkova (Iowa City, Iowa) has been tabbed the Defensive Player of the Week after leading Gardner-Webb to a 5-1 record and the Spartanburg Courtyard Classic championship last week.
Gardner-Webb (7-10) recorded five key victories last week, defeating Charlotte, North Carolina A&T and Savannah State while also besting USC Upstate and Wofford to win the program's first regular season tournament championship in head coach Leo Sayles' tenure.
Cockrell led the Runnin' Bulldogs to a 5-1 week while recording 56 kills with a .406 hitting percentage, 15 digs, 34 blocks and four service aces. The senior turned in her best offensive performance against Wofford as she hit .789 to lift Gardner-Webb to a 3-1 win. Cockrell was named Tournament MVP of the Spartanburg Courtyard Classic and on Sunday, the middle blocker tallied 12 kills and nine blocks in sweeps against North Carolina A&T and Savannah State.
Pashkova led Gardner-Webb's defense in its six-game week with 125 digs, 5.43 digs per set and 11 service aces. She also had two 30-dig matches against Charlotte and Tennessee Tech. The libero formed the backbone for the Runnin' Bulldogs' defense and earned a spot on the Spartanburg Courtyard Classic All-Tournament team. Pashkova also added nine digs in each of Gardner-Webb's Sunday sweeps against N.C. A&T and Savannah State.
Gardner-Webb is back in action on Wednesday when the Runnin' Bulldogs travel to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on Western Carolina at 7:00 p.m.
