Kenny Sorensen, a senior at Eastern Nazarene College, was recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Associations as the National Division III Player of the Week on February 20. He became the first player in the history of Eastern Nazarene’s Men’s Volleyball program to garner this award.
This season, Sorensen has averaged 12.53 attacks per set, 4.39 kills per set, 158 total kills, 2.89 digs per set, and has 104 total digs as an outside hitter for the ENC Lions. Sorensen ranks second nationally in attacks per set and leads the conference in kills and digs per set.
Sorensen admits that he has not had much experience in playing volleyball for a team, explaining that he never played volleyball until last year when he joined Eastern′s team.
To Sorenson, the team aspect of the sport is what he enjoys the most. He explained, “I love how it takes a whole team doing their share to have success. It’s about more than one player.”
When asked about his preparation for each matchup, Sorensen stresses that it is more of a mental preparation than anything else. He explains, “It’s mostly making sure the team is focused and thinking about the game. It’s more of a mental warm-up. Unlike other sports, there is not much physical preparation. We just zone in on whoever we are facing that week.”
Sorensen likes what he’s seen from his team so far. He states, “We are doing well, though there is always room to improve.”
Sorensen shared that he is excited about getting acknowledged for this award, but he is also happy that Eastern is getting some acknowledgement as a school, too. He states, “It feels like such an honor.”