University of Maryland Eastern Shore freshman Hightower has been named Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie of the Week, following a 2-0 home sweep over LIU, according to an April 6 announcement. This is Hightower’s first weekly award this season.
The recognition comes as Hightower played a key role in UMES’s two conference wins, ranking among league leaders in hitting percentage, kills, and points. The freshman outside hitter recorded 27 kills—an average of 3.38 per set—and contributed a total of 29.5 points while maintaining a .375 hitting percentage across eight sets. He also added five block assists during the matches.
In addition to being named Rookie of the Week, both Hightower and junior Mills were selected as NEC Prime Performers for their efforts during the week. Mills registered 20 total kills (2.86 per set), tallied 27.5 points (3.93 per set), and collected 20 digs (2.86 per set) in UMES’s victories.
Other weekly honors included Jamal Ellis from Fairleigh Dickinson University as Player of the Week for his performance with 28 kills and Rayjan Suarez Palacios as Defensive Player of the Week with twelve blocks over seven sets for FDU.
This latest round of awards continues a season-long trend where UMES players have regularly featured among NEC weekly honorees in both defensive and rookie categories.
