KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Junior libero Gaby Fernandez of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) earned PrestoSports NAIA Women’s Volleyball Defender of the Week recognition after leading SMWC to a memorable stretch of matches.
The Arecibo, Puerto Rico native amassed 88 digs in three matches, averaging 7.33 digs per set, while also contributing 13 assists, four service aces, and a stellar .969 reception percentage on 65 reception attempts. Fernandez currently leads the NAIA in digs per set on the season and paced the association in total digs during the week.
Fernandez opened her standout week in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods’ sweep of No. 22 IU Kokomo (Ind.). She recorded 21 digs, three assists, and two service aces while helping the Pomeroys snap the Cougars’ 56-match River States Conference winning streak. Her defensive presence kept the Pomeroys in system throughout the match and played a key role in one of the program’s most significant victories of the season.
She followed that performance with a career-best effort against Kansas Wesleyan. Despite the five-set setback, Fernandez was sensational, compiling a career-high 40 digs, averaging an impressive eight digs per set. She also added seven assists and two service aces.
Fernandez capped the week with another strong defensive showing in a four-set victory over Governors State (Ill.). She tallied 27 digs and three assists while helping Saint Mary-of-the-Woods secure its second win of the week.
Her consistency was remarkable throughout the three-match stretch. Fernandez recorded at least 20 digs in every match, including two performances of 27-plus digs and her career-high 40-dig outing. She also committed just two reception errors on 65 attempts.
Fernandez set the stage for her team last week with 88 digs, seven service aces and a week highlighted by a historic victory over a ranked conference rival.
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The first regular-season Gared NAIA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll sees a lot of movement as only two teams remained the same rank as the preseason poll. Bethel (Tenn.) Bethel (Tenn.) has opened the season with an impressive 4-0 record, averaging 78 points per game while steadily improving on the […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Top-ranked Cumberlands (Ky.) continued to strengthen its hold on the No. 1 position in the NAIA Men’s Cross Country Top 25, earning 560 points to remain comfortably ahead of second-ranked Madonna (Mich.), which collected 542 points. The biggest storyline near the top of the poll came from The Master’s (Calif.) and […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Top-ranked Dordt (Iowa) continued to solidify its position atop the NAIA Women’s Cross Country Top 25 Ratings, collecting 15 of the 16 first-place votes and 465 points. The Defenders remain the team to beat as they hold off a strong challenge from College of Idaho, which earned the remaining first-place vote […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Postseason has arrived! Teams started conference tournaments last weekend or are starting them this week. The final day for qualifying tournaments to be completed is Nov. 14. Check out other important upcoming dates and information pertaining to the postseason below. This will be the final Notebook of the 2026 season; stay […]