Sept. 12, 2011

FRISCO, Tex. - Texas State sophomore Amari Deardorff and UT Arlington senior libero Alicia Shaffer were named the Southland Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, the league announced Monday.

Shaffer put together a strong weekend on defensive side of the net for the Mavericks with a total of 75 digs in three matches. Shaffer, a senior libero from Magnolia, Texas (Magnolia H.S.), helped UT Arlington remain competitive against some strong competition, including a match against No. 1 California. Shaffer averaged 6.82 digs per set on the week, and had one of her biggest matches of the season Saturday night with a season-high 31 digs against Nevada.

Each school's sports information director nominates and votes for the players of the week, though is not permitted to vote for his or her own player. To receive honorable mention, a player must receive votes from 25 percent of the Southland sports information directors.