FRISCO – For the third time this season, East Texas A&M University volleyball player Jade Washington has been named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
 
The Lions went 2-0 last week with a pair of road wins against UTRGV and A&M-Corpus Christi. The Vaqueros are the defending conference champions, while East Texas A&M picked up a win in Corpus Christi for the second straight year.
 
Washington (Waco – Midway) totaled 42 digs in the two road wins. She recorded 22 digs at the Vaqueros as well as 20 digs at the Islanders.
 
This week's honor is the fifth in the two-year career for Washington and fifth for the Lions this season.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions play Northwestern State twice this week, hosting Senior Day on Saturday at 1 p.m. and playing in Natchitoches, Louisiana, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
 
2026 SOUTHLAND VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Date	Offensive	Defensive	Setter
Aug. 31	Ariana Brown, East Texas A&M	Jade Washington, East Texas A&M	Isabella Padilla Nicholls
Sept. 7	Ariana Brown, East Texas A&M	Jade Washington, East Texas A&M	Lana Rjnak, UTRGV
Sept. 14	Olivia Nzioki, Northwestern State	Emmarie McFarland, Northwestern State	Ava Hight, A&M-Corpus Christi
Sept. 21	Katherine Holtman, SFA	Sophia Tocmo, McNeese	Jade Longlad, Northwestern State
Sept. 28	Maja Malinowska, Lamar	Ashton Rogers, UIW	Lana Rnjak, UTRGV
Oct. 5	Kyra McKelvey, Southeastern	Jordan Henderson, SFA	Lana Rnjak, UTRGV
Oct. 12	Gracie Brown, Southeastern	Ashton Rogers, UIW	Calissa Allison, UIW
Oct. 19	Kyra McKelvey, Southeastern	Julianna Bryant, UTRGV	Lana Rnjak, UTRGV
Oct. 26	Calissa Allison, UIW	Gracie Brown, Southeastern	Lana Rnjak, UTRGV
Nov. 2	Kyra McKelvey, Southeastern	Kyanna Creecy, SFA	Ashley Richardson, Southeastern
Nov. 9	Tatum Mason, A&M-Corpus Christi	Jade Washington, East Texas A&M	Calissa Allison, UIW