MIAMI SHORES, Fla. --- Tusculum University men's volleyball earned two of the three Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (IVA) Player of the Week honors. Reef Mathis was named the Offensive Player, while Aiden Roper was tagged as the defensive honoree. 

This is the first career laurel for Mathis and the second time this season that Roper has been awarded a weekly honor.

Mathis (Saint Johns, Fla.) upped his career-best in two of Tusculum's three matches on the week, becoming the only Pioneer to reach the 20-kill plateau. In the sweep of King, he tallied nine kills, five digs, and two block assists. Against Lees-McRae, Mathis notched 20 kills across the four-set victory, adding one service ace, six digs, and three total blocks. The following night at Belmont Abbey, he recorded 21 kills in five sets on a .400 hitting percentage. He added an assist, four digs, and another three blocks.

For the season, Mathis is averaging a per set rate of 3.58 kills on a .288 rate, 1.23 digs, .46 blocks, and an even 4.0 points.

Nationally, Mathis is 16th in attacks per set (8.54) and 23rd in kills per set.

Roper (Acworth, Ga.) had a massive defensive effort over the week's matches. Versus King, he was credited with six digs and five total blocks (two solo, three assists), while adding seven kills. In the home match with Lees-McRae, Roper recorded four digs and five blocks (one solo, four assists), with an errorless five kills. In the finale at Belmont Abbey, who is receiving votes in the national poll, he scooped up a career-high 14 digs with two block assists and four kills.

For the season, Roper is averaging a per set rate of 2.12 kills, 1.65 digs, .69 blocks, and 2.8 points. 

As a team, the Pioneers rank second in opponent hitting percentage (.144), third in blocks per set (2.741), 11th in win-loss percentage (.750), and 14th in digs per set (9.33).

Tusculum (6-2) travels to Catawba for its IVA opener on Friday (Feb. 13) at 7 p.m.