Czerniak and Flagle Win Crossroads League Players of the Week

Volleyball | Mon, Nov. 7, 2022 at 1:20 PM
| by Jake Chipka

Crossroads League Release | TU Honors Page

JACKSON, Mich. – The Crossroads League released its latest installment of weekly awards, this time recognizing the top volleyball performers from the first round of the Crossroads League Tournament.

No. 11 Taylor (28-5) came home with a pair of weekly awards for the fifth time this season, as senior right-side hitter, Ryan Czerniak, and freshman libero, McKaylah Flagle, were dubbed conference players of the week in response to leading Taylor to a three-set sweep of Grace in the quarterfinals.

Czerniak picked up the third Crossroads League Attacker-of-the-Week award of her 2022 season after posting 11 kills in tandem with zero errors in 19 total attacks, which spit out a hitting percentage of .579.

TU’s senior sensation from Danville, Indiana, embodied a fierce presence on offense for Taylor from the very first serve, as Czerniak slammed five kills against Grace in the opening set alone. Czerniak, then, followed with four more kills in the second set, after which the Trojans coasted to a quick three-set sweep of Grace.

Czerniak continues to lead the nation with a .409 hitting percentage for the season, as she is the only player in the NAIA to post a percentage over .400.

Meanwhile, freshman, McKaylah Flagle, earned the first Crossroads League Defender-of-the-Week award of her young collegiate career, in recognition of a match-high 14 digs scattered across three sets of play against Grace.

Flagle was nearly flawless on the defensive end, as she calmly, continuously dug the Lancer offensive attack, which then primed the TU offense for its 41 match kills.

TU’s freshman libero from New Palestine, Indiana, boasts a team-high average of 3.28 digs-per-set throughout the 2022 season, which is currently good for 10th in the Crossroads League.

Taylor volleyball now boasts 15 of TU Athletics’ 25 total player-of-the-week awards in 2022-2023.

Czerniak, Flagle, and the Trojans (28-5) are now set for a semifinal matchup with Bethel (21-10), slated for Wednesday evening, November 9, at 7:00 pm inside Odle Arena.