After the Hawks clinched the No. 3 seed in the NEC Tournament with a sweep against Manhattan at home, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore freshmen Joshua Hightower and Chase Valentine earned NEC weekly honors.

Hightower earned his first NEC Player of the Week honor after setting a single-match high for the team in kills on the Hawks' Saturday match against Manhattan with 28. He also earned his second NEC Rookie of the Week honor.

For the seventh time this season, Valentine earned NEC Defensive Player of the Week after leading the team with 13 total blocks against Manhattan across both matches.

In addition to those awards, Hightower and Valentine were joined by senior Kenyon Haynes and junior Andre Mills as NEC's Prime Performers for the week.

NEC MEN'S VOLLEYBALL PLAYER & ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Joshua Hightower, UMES (Fr., OH)
Irvine, CA/Northwood High School
Hightower totaled 37 kills (4.63 kills per set) and 40.5 points (5.06 points per set) across eight sets. The freshman outside hitter finished with a .557 hitting percentage, helping UMES to a 2-0 week. He added two service aces and two total blocks as the Hawks clinched an NEC tournament berth.

NEC MEN'S VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Kaysville, Utah/Davis High School 
Valentine racked up 13 total blocks (1.63 blocks per set), including two solo blocks and 11 block assists. He also contributed 26 total kills (3.25 kills per set) while hitting .523, ranking among the conference leaders in both efficiency and offensive production.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Luk Markwardt, DYO (Fr., OH/OPP)
Markwardt recorded 13 kills (3.25 kills per set) and 15.5 points (3.88 points per set), adding eight digs (2.00 digs per set).

Laydon Biro, FDU (So., OH)
Biro totaled 18 kills (3.00 kills per set) and 21.0 points (3.50 points per set) while hitting .316.

Kale Spencer, LIU (Sr., OH/RS)
Spencer recorded 26 kills (4.33 kills per set) and 29.5 points (4.92 points per set), ranking second in the NEC in scoring.

Kenyon Haynes, UMES (Gr., S)
Haynes led the NEC in assists with 110 (13.75 assists per set), guiding the conference's top offense.

Joshua Hightower, UMES (Fr., OH)
In addition to Player and Rookie of the Week honors, Hightower's 40.5 points (5.06 points per set) led the NEC.

Andre Mills, UMES (Jr., OPP)
Mills recorded 28 kills (3.50 kills per set) and 31.5 points (3.94 points per set), ranking fourth in the NEC in scoring.

Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
In addition to Defensive Player of the Week honors, Valentine's 13 blocks (1.63 blocks per set) led the conference.

Kasen Owens, MC (So., OH)
Owens totaled 26 kills (3.25 kills per set) and 28.5 points (3.56 points per set).

Jackson Decker, SFU (Jr., OH)
Decker recorded 13 kills (3.25 kills per set) while hitting a conference-best .650.

2026 MEN'S VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS:

NEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jan. 13: Brady Stump, SFU (Sr., OH)
Jan. 20: Ike Vernon, LIU (Fr., OH/RS)
Jan. 27: Kasen Owens, MAN (So., OH)
Feb. 3: Laydon Biro, FDU (So., OH)
Feb. 10: Patrick Mullen, DAE (R-So., RS)
Feb. 17: Laydon Biro, FDU (So., OH)
Feb. 24: Brady Stump, SFU (Sr., OH)
Mar. 3: Andre Mills, UMES (Jr., OPP)
Mar. 11: Ike Vernon, LIU (Fr., OH/RS)
Mar. 17: Owen Holowecky, LIU (So., S)
Mar. 24: Jamal Ellis, FDU (Sr., OPP)
Mar. 30: Owen Holowecky, LIU (So., S)
Apr. 6: Jamal Ellis, FDU (Sr., OPP)
Apr. 13: Jamal Ellis, FDU (Sr., OPP) & Kale Spencer, LIU (Sr., OH)
Apr. 20: Joshua Hightower, UMES (Fr.,OH)

NEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jan. 13: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Jan. 20: Peter Leicht, DAE (R-So., OH)
Jan. 27: Marcellus Owens, UMES (Fr., OH)
Feb. 3: Patrick Mullen, DAE (R-So., RS)
Feb. 10: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Feb. 17: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Feb. 24: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Mar. 3: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Mar. 11: Max Larcheid, MC (Fr., MB)
Mar. 17: Vanja Petrasinovic, LIU (Sr., OH/RS)
Mar. 24: Rayjan Suarez Palacios, FDU (Jr., MB)
Mar. 30: Rayjan Suarez Palacios, FDU (Jr., MB)
Apr. 6: Rayjan Suarez Palacios, FDU (Jr., MB)
Apr. 13: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Apr. 20: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)

NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Jan. 13: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Jan. 20: Ike Vernon, LIU (Fr., OH/RS)
Jan. 27: Ike Vernon, LIU (Fr., OH/RS)
Feb. 3: Tristan Rowley, UMES (Fr., OH/OPP)
Feb. 10: Tristan Rowley, UMES (Fr., OH/OPP)
Feb. 17: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Feb. 24: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Mar. 3: Tristan Rowley, UMES (Fr., OH/OPP)
Mar. 11: Ike Vernon, LIU (Fr., OH/RS)
Mar. 17: Ike Vernon, LIU (Fr., OH/RS)
Mar. 24: Xander Horst, MC (Fr., MB)
Mar. 30: Ike Vernon, LIU (Fr., OH/RS)
Apr. 6: Joshua Hightower, UMES (Fr., OH)
Apr. 13: Chase Valentine, UMES (Fr., MB)
Apr. 20: Joshua Hightower, UMES (Fr.,OH)