RUSSELLVILLE — Off a 4-0 week, Henderson State’s Makenzie Thoman was named the Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.
 
This is the first such honor for the junior libero this season and the second conference award HSU has garnered this year after teammate Violeta Mendoza Quintana was named Offensive Player of the Week to open the season.
 
In Thoman’s career, she has seen two previous “of the week” honors, with this recognition being her first since November of 2019.  
 
The reigning GAC Defensive Player of the Year posted 85 digs through four matches over the last week, including a season-high 28 digs in HSU’s final match of the Reddie-Tiger Invitational against Mississippi College.
 
The Francis Howell High School product has 213 digs on the season, yielding an average of 16.4 digs a match and is currently eighth all-time in program history with 1421 digs.
 
Thoman has helped Henderson State along to an 11-2 record, including seven wins in a row. Next up for the defensive specialist and the Reddies is Arkansas Tech in Russellville, Arkansas, Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m.