Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

RICHMOND, Va. – University of Delaware standouts Steph Barry and Katie Dennehy have been honored with weekly awards from the Colonial Athletic Association after the two helped guide the Blue Hen volleyball team to a thrilling 3-2 victory over North Carolina on Friday evening.

For their efforts, Dennehy (top right) was honored as the CAA Offensive Player of the Week, while Barry (bottom right) earned Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.

During the victory over the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference champions, Dennehy blasted a career-high 23 kills to fuel Delaware’s comeback effort. She also led the team with a .263 hitting percentage and chipped in with nine digs to round out an incredible effort during the match.

Her 23 kills topped her previous high of 22 set against St. John’s during the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The total was also the highest by a Blue Hen since Kelly Gibson posted 23 against Cal St. Fullerton during the first match last season.

On the year, Dennehy leads Delaware with 118 kills and ranks second in the CAA with a 3.28 kills-per-set average. She also stands third in the conference with a 3.54 points-per-set mark.

The award is the third weekly CAA honor for Dennehy during her career, and it marks the second time she has been named the Player of the Week. She is the first Blue Hen to earn the conference’s top weekly award in back-to-back seasons since Colleen Walsh did it in 2006 and 2007.

While Dennehy was leading the offensive attack, Barry anchored Delaware’s defensive effort against the Tar Heels. During the match, she recorded a season-high 35 digs, which was the highest single-match total in the league this season. Her performance on Friday also marked the eighth time in her career that she has reached the 30-dig plateau.

Guided by her efforts, the Blue Hens recorded 98 digs during the match. That total marked the most by Delaware since the NCAA switched to 25-point sets.

Barry, who was fittingly honored before the UNC match for breaking the program’s career digs record, currently leads the team with 170 on the season. Her 4.47 digs-per-set average also stands second in the conference.

A two-time All-American and the CAA Preseason Player of the Year, Barry has now earned weekly CAA honors twice in her career. As a sophomore, she also garnered Player of the Week nods for her performance during the 2007 Delaware Invitational.

Along with the two Blue Hens, the conference office named George Mason’s Fernanda Bartels as the Co-Defensive Player of the Week, while Nicole Bishop was honored as the top rookie.

Delaware will return to action on Wednesday when the team hosts Seton Hall at Viera Court beginning at 7 p.m.