St. LOUIS – Missouri State's Aniya Joseph continued her historic start to the season on Monday by becoming the sixth player in Missouri Valley Conference history to win both the league's volleyball Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week awards in the same week.
 
An outside hitter from San Antonio, Joseph was named the Skyhawk Classic MVP and averaged 4.77 kills on .301 hitting, 3.54 digs, 0.69 blocks and 5.27 points per set in four matches last week.
 
Joseph collected kill-dig double-doubles in three of four matches and reached 100 kills on the season Saturday in the opening set of MSU's seventh match, getting to triple digits quicker than any freshman in school history. MVC all-time kills leader Lily Johnson did so in the eighth match of her 2014 rookie season, during which she was the only other Bear to sweep the MVC awards, doing so on Sept. 15 of that year.
 
Joseph had 13 kills and 11 digs on Wednesday against Tulsa, 17 kills and 16 digs Friday versus North Alabama, 15 kills on .433 hitting with 12 digs against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and 17 kills on .326 hitting Saturday at UT Martin.
 
With 110 kills on the year, Joseph leads all freshmen nationally and sits atop the MVC in that category.
 
The Bears (5-2) host the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational at Hammons Student Center Sept. 12-14. MoState takes on UT Arlington at 6 p.m. Thursday, Weber State at 6 p.m. Friday and Saint Louis at 1 p.m. Sunday.