ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. – Marvin Williams started the season on a high note for the men's basketball team and earned Warhawk Male of the Week honors, while Marcela Araya posted another huge week for the volleyball program and earned the Warhawk Female of the Week award.

Williams, a 6-8 junior center from Memphis, Tenn., posted a game-high 19 points in the season opener at No. 5/6 Kansas. He went 8-for-13 from the field and stood his ground inside, grabbing a team-high six rebounds.

In 24 minutes, Williams outscored Andrew Wiggins from Kansas who was named Preseason National Player of the Year by cbssports.com.

Williams kept the Warhawks in the game for much of the contest as the Warhawks led 15-13 with 13 minutes left in the first half and trailed by just 42-37 with 17 minutes left in the second. A lay-in by Williams at the 12:36 mark made it a 51-43 game.

He was one of three newcomers to earn the start along with junior Tylor Ongwae and freshman Nick Coppola.

Araya, a junior libero from San Jose, Costa Rica, also won Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week accolades for the second consecutive week.

She collected 57 digs across three matches last week including a high of 27 against Texas State Friday night and averaged 6.33 digs per set in that three-match span. In Sunday's contest at South Alabama, she became just the second player in ULM history to record 500 digs in a single season and needs 40 more digs to tie the season record.

Araya won Defensive Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks in 2011 (Oct. 3, Oct. 11 (co-winner)). This is the sixth time she has earned Defensive Player of the Week honors in her career (Aug. 27, 2012; Sept. 30 and Nov. 4, 2013, are the other occasions.)

She ranks third in the SBC and 79th nationally with a 4.66 digs per set average.

Warhawk of the Week Archive
Sept. 3:      Male: Hillary Kirwa (Cross Country); Female: Pauline Muiruri (Cross Country)
Sept. 10:    Male: Cortney Davis (Football); Female: Jenna Pillon (Soccer)
Sept. 17:    Male: Kolton Browning (Football); Female: Hadley Swartz (Volleyball)
Sept. 24:    Male: Justin Manton (Football); Female: Mariah Mitchell (Soccer)
Oct. 1:        Male: Charlie MacNeal (Golf); Female: Alison Knowles (Golf)
Oct. 8:        Male: Dusan Makevic (Cross Country); Female: Sophie Rufyikiri (Tennis)
Oct: 15:      Male: Isaiah Newsome (Football); Female: Medy Blankvoort (Tennis)
Oct. 22:      Male: Hillary Kirwa (Cross Country); Female: Somer Anderson (Soccer)
Oct. 29:      Male: Kolton Browning (Football); Female: Alison Knowles (Golf)
Nov. 5:        Male: Ajalen Holley (Football); Female: Marcela Araya (Volleyball)
Nov. 12:      Male: Marvin Williams (Basketball); Female: Marcela Araya (Volleyball)