NAPERVILLE, Ill. - For the second straight week, junior Alysa Lawton (Elmhurst, Ill.-IC Catholic Prep) of the No. 3 Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team took home the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week award, announced Monday, Sept. 14. Illinois Wesleyan finished the week with a 2-1 record with wins over DePauw University and Austin College while dropping its match to Centre College. She becomes the first Titan to win CCIW Defensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks since the award has been handed out.

Lawton earned her fourth career conference defensive player of the week award (Sept. 17, 2024, Sept. 8. 2025, Sept. 7, 2026, Sept. 14, 2026) behind a 6.63 digs per set weekend. She tallied 76 digs with performances of 31 against CC, 28 versus DePauw, and 17 in the middle match, AC. Out of the team's 234 digs, Lawton accounted for 32.5 percent of them. The libero did not just do it on the defensive end, she added 14 assists and three service aces. Nationally in the first two weeks of the season, her 5.87 digs per set and her 182 total digs sit in a tie for eighth.

Lawton and the Titans return home after a weekend away to host UW-Whitewater at the Shirk Center Wednesday, Sept. 16.