LEXINGTON, Ky. --- After a monstrous opening week for the Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team, senior Kannyn Boyd was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week, earning the first accolade of the young season, announced by the organization Tuesday, Sept. 2. Boyd was also tabbed the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week. 

Boyd becomes the first libero in program history to earn the honor, and joins a short list of Titans. Tyler Brown and Taylor French have each earned the honor twice, with Brown becoming the first Titan to do so Sept. 13, 2016, and again Sept. 19, 2017. French was the national player of the week Oct. 29, 2023 and Nov. 5, 2023, becoming the first player ever to earn the award in back-to-back weeks. Jessica McCall rounds out the short list, as she earned the national nod Nov. 9, 2021. Boyd is also the first libero to receive the national honor since Oct. 27, 2024, when Grace Rail from Salisbury represented Division III.

The Mt. Pleasant, Mich. native earns the third CCIW Defensive Player of the Week honor in her career, and secures the first weekly accolade of the season. Boyd previously earned the award Sept. 9 and Oct. 7, 2024.

Leading the defense, Boyd dazzled in the opening weekend for the Titans, leading them to their best start since 2021, as IWU opened the season with a 3-0 record. The libero led the team with 65 digs, an incredible 5.91 digs per set record, and eclipsed the 1000 career digs mark in the five-set win over Earlham College Friday night, Aug. 29. Boyd also added 12 assists, an average of 1.09 per set, and five aces, averaging 0.45 per set. 

Opening the season in spectacular fashion, Boyd led the team with 32 digs in the victory against Earlham, one shy of her career-high. The senior also tallied seven assists and two aces in the win. Following Friday night's show, Boyd put up 11 digs, four assists, and a pair of aces in the sweep over Greenville University Saturday morning, Aug. 30. The Mt. Pleasant, Mich. product finished opening weekend with 22 digs, an ace, and an assist to lead IWU to a sweep over No. 20 University of Chicago Saturday afternoon. 

Boyd and the Titans head to Georgetown, Texas, to compete in the Southwestern University Invitational Friday-Saturday, Sept. 5-6. Illinois Wesleyan will face Texas Lutheran University Friday, Sept. 5, at 3:30 p.m. The Titans will conclude the weekend by facing University of Puget Sound at 12 p.m., and Southwestern at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6.