Pro Volleyball Spotlight: Hentz and Pannoy Anchor Defensive Efforts
Week 8 of both Major League Volleyball and League One Volleyball was defined by dominant defensive performances from two Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball liberos.
Morgan Hentz and Piyanut Pannoy both earned Player of the Week honors in their respective leagues after anchoring their teams with standout efforts on both serve receive defense that helped propel their squads to crucial victories.
Morgan Hentz Earns MLV Player of the Week After Stellar Defensive Performances
Morgan Hentz has shown she is right at home with her new Grand Rapids Rise team in her third week of action since being traded from the Omaha Supernovas.
The Rise started the week hosting the Mojo on Thursday, and despite a 3-0 loss (24-26, 21-25, 25-19), Hentz put on an impressive defensive display with 20 digs and four assists in just four sets. Her 20 digs led the Rise, and the team finished the contest with 76 digs–the most in a four-set match in MLV history.
On Sunday, the Rise had a chance to bounce back on the road versus the Orlando Valkyries, and Hentz put on a defensive clinic once again. She recorded a season-high 25 digs and three assists across four sets as the Rise defeated the Valkyries 3-1 (25-22, 26-24, 21-25, 25-18). Her 25 digs marked the second-most in a four-set Grand Rapids match and ranks fifth all-time in franchise history.
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Hentz also had 32 attempts in serve receive with just one error and a 44% positive pass percentage, and brought her weekly stat total to 45 digs across the two matches for an average of 6.4 digs per set.
The upset win over the third-ranked Valkyries gave the Rise a boost as the team continues to edge away from the league’s last-place Columbus Fury.
Hentz’s player of the week honor marks the third time in league history that a libero has been chosen for weekly recognition and the second career accolade for Hentz.
Piyanut Pannoy Powers Atlanta’s Upset Over League-Leading Salt Lake
Atlanta libero Piyanut Pannoy played a key role in the team’s upset victory over league-leading Salt Lake, helping Atlanta win the serve receive battle with a 47.9% in-system rating.
Pannoy had 16 attempts on serve receive with just one error, and 75% of her passes were in-system. She added 15 digs on a .882 dig percentage, and Atlanta teammates were able to make an attack off 75 percent of her digs.
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Atlanta defeated Salt Lake 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22) and jumped to third in the standings with a 6-5 record, just one win behind second-ranked Houston’s 7-5 mark.
The longtime Thai National Team libero earned LOVB Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season after previously winning the award in January 2025. This season, Pannoy leads the league with a .670 good pass percentage and ranks second with a 2.71 pass efficiency.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
