ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) announced on Monday its weekly award winners for the period ending March 5, 2017 with Southern Vermont College junior captain Elmer Olivares (Miami, Fla.) earning the Men's Volleyball Player of the Week laurel.

Olivares was outstanding in SVC's only countable match of the week—knocking down a career-high 23 kills to help the Mountaineers grab their first NECC win of the season with a 3-1 home victory over Eastern Nazarene College. He averaged 5.75 kills per set in the four-game contest, and the Southern Vermont junior added a match-high 16 digs (4.0/set) on the defensive end. Olivares also tied the match-high of five service aces and had only five hitting errors on 41 swings to notch a .439 attacking percentage.

This is the SVC captain's first-ever NECC weekly accolade. He currently ranks 28th in NCAA Division III with 8.17 attacks per set and is 39th in the nation with 3.15 kills per set. Additionally, he is sitting at fifth in the Conference for points per set with 3.6.

Olivares and the Mountaineers return to league play on Wednesday for their next match—hosting Endicott College for a 7 p.m. first serve.

– #LetsGoSVC –