Koons, Haas earn ASUN weekly honors for surging Sugar Bears

CONWAY, Ark. — Central Arkansas  claimed two of the ASUN Conference’s top weekly honors Tuesday, with senior setter Caylan Koons named Setter of the Week and freshman middle blocker McKinzee Haas earning Freshman of the Week recognition.

Koons’ award marks her first of the season after averaging 11.29 assists per set in two matches last week. She recorded 33 assists in a three-set sweep of Queens and 46 more in a four-set victory over West Georgia. The Springdale native also added 15 digs, six blocks, three kills and two service aces.

Her performance marked the fifth and sixth matches this year in which she averaged at least 10 assists per set. Through 28 sets of conference play, Koons ranks third in the ASUN at 10.36 assists per set, anchoring a UCA attack that continues to find balance between veterans and young contributors.

Haas, meanwhile, earned her second Freshman of the Week award this season after posting a combined 18 kills, 10 blocks and seven digs across the same two matches. She hit .667 with 13 kills against West Georgia and added five kills, four digs and four blocks against Queens.

The Cabot native continues to rank among the ASUN’s most efficient hitters and shot-blockers. She leads UCA with 67 total blocks and 104 kills on a .325 hitting percentage this season. In conference play, she sits third in blocks per set at 1.19 and fourth in total blocks with 32.

UCA coach John Newberry credited both players for helping stabilize the team’s midseason surge.

“Caylan’s leadership at setter gives us consistency, and McKinzee continues to grow as a force at the net,” Newberry said. “They’ve earned these honors through hard work and accountability.”

Koons, a senior leader for the Sugar Bears, has surpassed 3,000 career assists and is known for her precision in transition. Her playmaking has been central to UCA’s recent stretch of efficient offensive production.

Haas has quickly emerged as one of the top young middles in the ASUN, following up her earlier Freshman of the Week honor from earlier in the month. Her combination of size and control at the net has helped UCA tighten its defensive front and create better opportunities in attack.

The Sugar Bears are coming off back-to-back conference wins that improved their ASUN record and kept them in the upper half of the league standings. Their depth, highlighted by the veteran-rookie pairing of Koons and Haas, has become a defining strength.

“Individual awards are great, but they only come because the team is performing well,” Koons said. “We’re building momentum the right way.” Haas added that she was “thankful for the recognition and for teammates who make my job easier every match.”

UCA returns to action this weekend at home, hosting Bellarmine on Friday and Eastern Kentucky on Sunday. Both matches carry importance as the Sugar Bears push for postseason positioning in the final weeks of ASUN regular-season play.

The dual awards underscore the program’s stability and growth, as a veteran setter and a freshman standout continue to drive UCA’s conference climb.

Information from UCA Sports is included in this story.