Queens middle named Independent Teams Player of Week

A middle attacker who led Queens to two near wins versus ConfCarolinas teams is earning a college men’s volleyball honor.

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

Payne had a season-high 15 kills on a .560 attack percentage and added five blocks in a five-game loss to Belmont Abbey on Thursday. The middle attacker also had a team-high 12 kills while hitting .366 and contributed four blocks as Queens lost to Mount Olive in five games on Friday.

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 eight independent teams this season are Alderson Broaddus, Daemen, D’Youville, Limestone, Lincoln Memorial, Queens, St. Francis Brooklyn and Tusculum.

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 week 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.