MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — 

For the third time this season, Laila Baameur (Bakersfield, Calif.) has been recognized as the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Defensive Athlete of the Week for women's volleyball (week ending October 19th)

Baameur was once again a model of consistency for the volleyball team's back row, recording 92 digs and averaging 6.13 per set across a four-match week. The senior captain had 21 in a four-set loss to conference rivals Springfield last Tuesday before tallying a career-high 30 the next day in a non-conference, 3-1 loss to Connecticut College. At Wheaton College's tri-match later in the week, she had 15 in a straight-set NEWMAC victory over the hosts before totaling 26 during a 3-1 victory in the matinee match against Framingham State.

Baameur joins her former teammate and Coast Guard volleyball all-time great Kaela France (Calhan, Colo.) as the only cadet-athletes in program history to earn a NEWMAC weekly honor three times in one season, havimg won the weekly honor for her performances during back-to-back weeks ending on September 14th and September 21st; France won her three during the 2024 season.

The captain currently sits third in the NEWMAC in digs, with 294, and is at the top of the league with 5.55 digs per set, which is the 19th-best rate in the nation. Baameur's leadership and consistent play have been a massive contribution to a Coast Guard defensive effort that also leads the conference in digs per set, with the team's 16.96 being a top-100 mark on the national circuit.

Baameur and the Bears volleyball team are back in action this Tuesday, hosting Salve Regina University (9-10, 1-6 NEWMAC) at 7 p.m. Coast Guard is 12-7 overall and 3-4 in-conference, currently sitting in a three-way tie for sixth-place in the league with Mount Holyoke College and Wellesley College entering the final two weeks of the season. The Bears hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Wellesley thanks to their straight-set victory over the Blue earlier this season.