KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Vivianna Sanchez, a senior middle blocker from Evangel (Mo.), has been named the NAIA Women's Volleyball Defender of the Week. Hailing from San Diego, California, Sanchez led her team to a flawless 5-0 record in non-conference play this week.

Sanchez's defensive prowess was on full display as she amassed an impressive 31 total blocks, averaging 1.72 blocks per set. Her performance placed her fourth in the nation in blocks per set. With 96 blocks so far this season, Sanchez is currently the national leader in this category, underscoring her critical role in Evangel's defensive lineup.

Offensively, Sanchez finished the week with 41 kills and a .344 hitting percentage. Sanchez's standout defensive performance last week came on September 12 against Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.), where she recorded nine total blocks (2 solo, 7 assisted), and she nearly recorded a double-double with her 11 kills in the match. 

The week opened with a four assisted block performance against Stephens (Mo.), but she was only warming up for the week as she improved to six total blocks (1 solo, 5 assisted) against Cottey (Mo.). She also contributed six and nine kills, respectively, in those matches. 

Against St. Francis (Ill.) the senior posted two solo blocks and two assisted blocks. She also contributed five kills in the match. 

The middle blocker closed out the week with an impressive showing at UHSP (Mo.) with eight blocks (2 solo, 6 assisted) and also added double-digit kills with 10 on no errors for a .500 attack percentage. 

Her statistics for the week included 18 sets played, 41 kills at an average of 2.28 kills per set, 31 total blocks (7 solo, 24 assisted), five digs and a total of 60 points, contributing to her average of 3.3 points per set.