ATLANTA (December 8, 2023) – After a stellar 2023 season, North Alabama graduate student middle blocker/right side hitter Anna Katherine Griggs received another honor in the form of setting a new Atlantic Sun Conference volleyball record in hitting percentage, the league office announced this week.
The Arab, Ala. native proved to be one of the most lethal attackers in not only the ASUN, but also the country. She registered a .429 hitting percentage to lead the conference and finished just outside the top five of all hitters in the nation with the sixth-highest total.
The mark also set a new program record in the Division I era, surpassing the .289 mark set by Griggs herself in 2021. She was also not far from the program record of .464 set by Sandra Alexander in 2002.
"This accomplishment is a culmination of a ton of hard work on and off the court by AK," said North Alabama Volleyball Head Coach Tristan Johnson. "I couldn't be more proud of the player she became. Breaking a conference record is no easy feat, and AK's efforts this year are a testament to that. I appreciate her leadership and perseverance to help us move this program forward to new heights."
Griggs started every match this season for the Lions and led UNA in sets played (109), points (359.5), kills (304), percentage (.429) and blocks (97). She led the league in hitting percentage by a wide margin with her .429 percentage, with the next highest checking in at .357. Griggs was also the only player in the league with a plus-.400 percentage on at least 500 attempts.
Griggs had 18 matches where she hit at least at least .400 and had double-digit kills in 12 of those, tallying double-digit kills in 16 matches. Griggs proved to be a threat on the defensive side of the net, finishing ninth in the league with 0.89 blocks per set and 97 total. She won two ASUN Player of the Week awards for the 2023 season (Sept. 18 and Nov. 6) and had 983 career kills and 390 career blocks over five seasons, including a career high 304 this year.
For her efforts, Griggs was placed on the ASUN All-Conference first team this season.
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