Moon Township, Pa. – RMU freshman outside hitter Natalie Stepanovich has been tabbed the Under Armour #HLVB Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.

Stepanovich helped the Colonials snap its six-game skid as they rallied to a 3-2 victory over Youngstown State on Friday, Oct. 13 at the UPMC Events Center. She led RMU with her ninth kill/dig double-double of the season, posting a season-best 24 successful swings and 22 digs. She also carded a season-high three blocks while tallying five or more kills in sets one through four.

The freshman outside hitter began the night by posting five kills on 10 attacks, with a .400 hitting percentage in the opening stanza. She followed that up with five successful swings and an impressive .625 attacking percentage while carding five points and seven digs in frame three. Stepanovich remained consistent, pacing RMU with six kills and seven digs, helping the Colonials rally and force set five.

The Ohio native currently ranks second in the conference in kills per set (3.29) while sitting ninth in total kills (240). Her 3.89 points per set ranks her third in the league while her 279 total points sits sixth in the Horizon League. The Glen Oak product has registered double-figure kills in 13 matches this season while collecting 28 service aces, which is tied for sixth in the conference.

Stepanovich is just the second Colonial to earn the award from the league office, since RMU joined the Horizon League in 2020.

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The Colonials hit the road as they travel to Northern Kentucky for a Horizon League contest on Tuesday, Oct. 17, with the opening serve scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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