MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — 

Three U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadet-athletes were revealed as NEWMAC Athlete of the Week honorees (week ending September 21st) on Monday.

Laila Baameur (Bakersfield, Calif.) repeated as the volleyball Defensive Athlete of the Week for her continued excellent play from the libero spot. The senior captain recorded an impressive 46 digs on 6.57 per set between Bears volleyball's sweep of Nichols College and 3-1 win over Roger Williams University, the latter of which she saved a career-high 27 digs. She also provided some offense in the form of three aces and three assists amidst her consistent floor coverage and playmaking in the back row.

A pair of football players won the other two honors for the Academy, with Sean Burns (Absecon, N.J.) taking Offensive Player of the Week and Amr Baadani (Fairfax, Va.) sharing the Special Teams Player of the Week nod with WPI kicker Nathan Napier. Both men were instrumental to Coast Guard's mind-boggling 92-60 Homecoming Game win over Nichols on Saturday. Burns completed 20 passes for 384 yards and six touchdowns, which tied the Academy record for passing touchdowns in a single game and made up almost half of the now Division III record for combined passing touchdowns in a single game; Baadani totaled 176 kick return yards, including an 88-yard touchdown return in the fourth quarter to bring the game's combined points total into the history books as the most in D-III history.

Baameur and the volleyball team faces a pair of their biggest challenges yet this week, hosting Smith College on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and #12 Massachusetts Institute of Technology this upcoming Saturday at noon in a pair of NEWMAC contests. Smith is the reigning conference champions and are currently receiving votes in the AVCA national poll. Burns, Baadani, and the rest of the football team also open NEWMAC play this weekend, heading to Worcester on Saturday to take on Napier and WPI at noon.