SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State was honored with a pair of Missouri Valley Conference volleyball awards Monday as outside hitter Christine McCartney was named the league’s Freshman of the Week for a third time this season and libero Abby Padlock won Defensive Player of the Week honors.

    McCartney averaged 5.00 kills and 3.33 digs per set, hitting a stellar .338 from the outside to go with three aces and three blocks in two Missouri State wins.

    The rookie was unstoppable on Friday, going for 18 kills against one error to hit .500, as the Bears downed then-third-place Evansville in three sets. McCartney had eight kills and eight digs in the first set alone, reached a double-double early in the second and finished with 13 digs, three aces and a block.

    Saturday against Southern Illinois, the Arlington, Texas, native again led all players with 12 kills to go along with seven digs and two blocks. She had six kills in a narrow first-set victory before the Bears got rolling through the next two periods for the sweep.

    Padlock averaged 6.33 digs per set, was perfect in 45 service reception attempts and directed an MSU defense that held opponents to .095 hitting in two victories last week. The Kenosha, Wis., product started the weekend with a match-high 15 digs against Evansville while helping the Bears hold the MVC’s top offense to a .125 attack efficiency and taking 29 serves without an error.

    Saturday versus Southern Illinois, Padlock had 12 digs in the first set alone on the way to 23 in only three sets, tops for all players yet again. She received 16 more serves without making an error against a Saluki team that ranked second in the MVC in aces. She also had two kills against SIU to contribute on the offensive side.