Alyssa Covas, of Pottsville, a graduate of Minersville Area High School, has been named Pennsylvania College of Technology's "Student-Athlete of the Week" for Sept. 16-22.
Covas, a sophomore pre-nursing student, chose to postpone her entry into the military and remain at Penn College for an additional semester and it has paid dividends for the college women's volleyball team.
"This week's matches give a hint of the fire that Alyssa brings to the volleyball court," said Lady Wildcats coach Bambi Hawkins.
"Being the top server on a team that only missed two serves through two matches at Mont Alto, and repeating that performance with her serves during the Elmira College match is just the tip of the iceberg," Hawkins continued.
"Alyssa was not the top stats leader, despite having an impressive eight kills, two aces and three blocks (against Elmira), but she definitely was a leader on the court.
"While others were inclined to allow their play to lull due to a lackluster opponent, Alyssa kept her intensity high and maintained a steady focus throughout the match," Hawkins said. "Effort like Alyssa showed is going to help take the women's volleyball team to another championship this year."
Each Monday, coaches who are in season nominate a student-athlete from their team. Nominees are then evaluated by the college athletic office, which selects the student-athlete of the week.