MIDWAY, Ky. -- It was announced on Tuesday, September 4, by the River States Conference office that Ashlee Simpson was named the River States Conference Volleyball Defender of the Week for her performance on the court the week of August 27-September 2.

A freshman from Somerset, Kentucky, Simpson earns her first career RSC Volleyball Player of the week honor. Simpson becomes the first Midway volleyball player to win the RSC Defender of the Week honor since October 2015 when her teammate Hannah Payne won it.

Although the Eagles didn't come away with a victory this past weekend, Simpson performed well under the pressure of her first collegiate matches. For her performance at the Milligan Mountain Madness, she was named to the All-Tournament Team for the event.

Simpson began the season with a pair of 17 dig performances against Pikeville (Ky.) and Milligan (Tenn.) last Friday.

After recording 11 digs against Union (Ky.) in the first game on Saturday, she saved her best for the final match of the weekend. Against Bryan (Tenn.), Simpson recorded a career-high 19 digs.

She finished the week with 64 digs for an average of 4.92 digs per set. Simpson also tallied a .917 reception percentage for the weekend.

After the first weekend of the season for the Eagles, the 2018 graduate of Southwestern High School ranks fourth in the RSC in digs per set (4.92). She also ranks 44th nationally in that category.

Simpson and the rest of her teammates will return to the hardwood on Tuesday night when they travel to Cincinnati-Clermont (Ohio) at 7 p.m. ET.

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