LEXINGTON, Ky.- For the second straight year, the AVCA National Player of the Year award will reside in Fort Myers as Florida SouthWestern setter Roberta Purashaj captured the honors this season after 2022 teammate Barbara Koehler earned the award a season ago. 

 

Purashaj set a new FSW single season record this season with 1,035 assists while guiding the Nation's top offense to an NJCAA best 13.87 kills per set and a .316 team hitting percentage to make FSW the first program to lead the Nation in both categories in nine years. Her 11.01 assists per set ranked 3rd Nationally and she had 30 or more assists 22 different times this season including a season high 57 in a win over Polk State and 46 in the NJCAA National Championship game against Miami Dade.  Purashaj finishes her FSW career as one of the most decorated players in NJCAA Division I Volleyball history with a resume that includes being a two time NJCAA National Champion,  the 2023 NJCAA and AVCA National Player of the Year and NJCAA National Tournament Most Valuable Player, a two time NJCAA All-American, and the 2023 FCSAA and Citrus Conference Player of the Year.

 

From a team perspective, Purashaj led FSW to equal success.  The Bucs finished 58-2 in her two seasons in Fort Myers, the best two year record of any NJCAA Division I team since the 1997-98 seasons.  Of their 58 wins the past two seasons, 35 came against Nationally ranked opponents.  FSW won back to back NJCAA National Championships in just their fourth and fifth years as a program while also capturing back to back Conference Championships and becoming just the second different program to win back to back FCSAA State Championships in the tournament's 55 year history.

 

Purashaj has not yet decided where she will play next season, but currently holds offers from teams from all five NCAA Division I Power Five Conferences.