UNC Wilmington’s Brynn Montgomery has been named the CAA Rookie of the Week for her performances in helping the team to a 3-0 record last week.

The setter had 22 kills, 52 assists and 25 digs as the volleyball team turned a four-game losing streak into a three-game winning streak and a sweep of the Courtyard by Marriott Classic last weekend.

Montgomery, who also had a .222 hit average as well as a .349 kill average for the tournament and paced the Seahawks in their tournament-opening win over Liberty on Sept. 15, barely missing a triple-double with 14 kills (in 29 attacks), 20 assists and nine digs.

Montgomery also posted 18 assists and 11 digs against Western Michigan in the tournament championship game, giving her five double-doubles this season.

She talked about how it felt to win the first honor of her collegiate volleyball career.

“It was a really, really great feeling,” said Montgomery. “I was definitely very honored and happy. It feels great.”

Montgomery credited the achievement to her staying focused and consistently working hard in practice, going from strength to strength.

“I think just being focused and working hard has helped me the most,” she said. “I’m motivated to just keep working harder than I have before and to continue to stay focused and just do my very best.”

Coming from Fort Collins, Colorado, Montgomery acknowledged the difficulties that often come with adjusting to completely new surroundings. However, she credits her teammates and coach Amy Bambenek for helping her settle into the team quickly.

“It was definitely hard at first, but the team helped me a lot to adjust here,” Montgomery said. “They really took me in and made me feel more at home here.”

In crediting her team’s role in her adjustment period to her new settings, Montgomery singled out specific teammates.

“The freshmen in my class have helped me a lot because we’re always together … Anna Wiseman is my roommate, and she’s also from Colorado, so she’s really helped me a lot. [Coach] Amy really encourages team building and togetherness … we’ve gone out to lunch and that’s helped a lot as well. Honestly, everyone on the team is just great and I love being a part of it.”

The Volleyhawks begin conference play this weekend with a pair of away games against Northeastern and Hofstra. They will return to Wilmington next week to face Charleston.

Staff Writer Lanre Badmus can be found on Twitter @LonnyBadmon. Any tips or suggestions should be forwarded via email to [email protected].