Sophomore women’s volleyball player Nya Warren took home the honors for Zaxby’s Player of the Week for her performance during the week ending on Oct. 5. The middle blocker from Gray, Georgia contributed 13 kills, eight total blocks—two solo and six assists—and four digs as Georgia College & State University’s women’s volleyball team split a pair of Peach Belt Conference contests against the University of South Carolina-Aiken Pacers and Middle Georgia State University Knights.
“It’s been great to see her blossom as a player and really take on her role very well,” said Abigail King, the women’s volleyball head coach. “Her confidence and her ability to be relied on are huge, and as a sophomore, to be able to make that big of an impact is huge. The sky’s the limit for her. We just have to keep convincing her that she’s capable of more than she knows.”
Warren had a respectable freshman season in the previous year, participating in 60 sets for the Bobcats in 2024, accumulating 56 kills, 11 digs, seven solo blocks, 43 block assists and a service ace. However, Warren has stepped up immensely in her sophomore season and has become a staple of this powerful Bobcat offensive attack.
She’s become extremely comfortable on the attack. Through her sophomore season, she’s participated in 56 sets, and Warren has quickly improved her stats in every category. So far, Warren has collected 68 kills, 29 digs, 11 solo blocks, 23 block assists and a remarkable seven service aces.
Warren’s seven service aces sit eighth on the Bobcats; however, she is the only middle blocker with more than five, as it is not common to see middle blockers step back to serve.
“We’re definitely still working on the consistency of it,” King said. “It’s funny, when she first got into my gym, she stood and served, and it was one of the rinky dink serves, and then randomly one day she started jump serving, and it was one of the hardest serves I’ve ever seen. If she can become consistent, it’ll become even better.”
It was Warren’s performance against the Knights that all but secured the honors of Zaxby’s Player of the Week. While she had eight kills, a pair of digs and seven total blocks, those kills came off an astounding .571 attack percentage. To put that number into perspective, an attack percentage between the .300 to .400 range is a highly efficient day on the offensive side of the ball.
On and off the court, Warren has brought a phenomenal attitude to the GCSU women’s volleyball team in her second season in Milledgeville, contributing to the improved success that the volleyball team has experienced this season.
“Just from knowing her for about three or four months, I’d say that she is the type of teammate that everyone would want to have,” said Lexi Polychrones, fifth-year transfer, outside hitter and right side hitter on the women’s volleyball team. “She brings energy to the court. On and off the court, she has a bunch of positivity that she brings. She’s the type of person that I could go to about anything, whether that’s volleyball-related or not.”
Warren sits in the top five on the Bobcats currently in kills and points, with a third-place team mark for total blocks.
In her performances since the contest against Middle Georgia State University, Warren has accumulated 26 kills, four service aces and nine total blocks. GCSU currently sits at an 11-9 record overall and 2-5 in conference.
The season continues on Tuesday, Oct. 21, with a non-conference contest against the Cobras of Coker University at 6 p.m. in the Centennial Center; however, the week continues with back-to-back Peach Belt Conference contests against the Saints of Flagler College, with the first game on Friday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. and the second game on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 3 p.m.