KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Oklahoma City University's Rylee Steward collected NAIA volleyball defender of the week.
Steward, a junior from Edmond, Okla., joined Dani Chase as the only Stars who have been honored by the NAIA as defender of the week. Chase snagged the award for Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2017.
Steward accumulated 13 blocks against 24th-rated Texas Wesleyan on Friday at Abe Lemons Arena to become the record holder for a match in OCU history. Steward posted her first career double-double with 14 kills.
Against 10th-ranked Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas), Steward supplied the Stars with seven blocks and three kills. Steward turned in 1.89 kills and 2.22 blocks a set as well as a .326 hitting percentage over the weekend.
In 2022, Steward has averaged 1.93 kills and 1.20 blocks per set with a .277 hitting percentage.
Steward gave Oklahoma City its first weekly accolade awarded by the NAIA in 2022-23 and first volleyball award since Sophia Salak took NAIA setter of the week for Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 2021. Steward became the third student-athlete honored with a national award this season within the SAC.
| 2022-23 NAIA Athletes of the Week from the Sooner Athletic Conference |
| WEEK |
NAME, TEAM |
SPORT |
AWARD |
| Sept. 19-25 |
Rylee Steward, Oklahoma City |
Volleyball |
Defender of the Week |
| Sept. 19-25 |
Nestor Higuera, Arizona Christian |
Football |
Special Teams Player of the Week |
| Sept. 5-11 |
Landon Reeves, OUAZ |
Football |
Special Teams Player of the Week |
