Queens middle named Independent Teams Player of Week

A middle attacker who helped lead Queens to victories against ConfCarolinas and EIVA opponents is earning a college men’s volleyball honor.

Off the Block announced Monday that middle attacker JP Payne was selected as the Off the Block Independent Teams Player of the Week.

Payne finished with a season-high nine kills on a .615 attack percentage along with contributing two aces and three blocks in a four-game victory against North Greenville on Tuesday. The middle attacker also had a season-high four blocks and six kills on a .500 attack percentage as Queens defeated Charleston on Friday for its fourth win in the last five matches.

The Independent Teams Player of the Week recognizes the best player during the week from NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball teams that are competing without a conference affiliation. The five independent teams this season are Alderson Broaddus, Daemen, Lincoln Memorial, Queens, St. Francis-Brooklyn, Tusculum and Urbana.

Off the Block determines the Independent Teams Player of the Week based on a variety of factors, including a player’s individual performance and how a player’s team fared during the week.

The winner of the Independent Teams Player of the Week is unveiled every Monday during the regular season on the Off the Block website, offtheblockblog.com.

Off the Block is a national award winning website that started in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball coverage.