First-year setter Zack Farren of the 16th-ranked Hobart volleyball team was named the United Volleyball Conference's Rookie of the Week ahead of the Statesmen's conference matchup with No. 13 Nazareth University on Wednesday. This is Farren's second UVC recognition this season and the fourth time Hobart has been selected to the conference's weekly awards in its inaugural season.
 
Farren was named the rookie of the week after leading the Statesmen to a 1-2 week last week. Hobart defeated Buffalo State 3-0 after falling to No. 7 St. John Fisher 3-2 and No. 3 Southern Virginia 3-0. Through three matches, Farren tallied 88 assists, 16 digs, two kills (.167), one block and one service ace. He averaged 8.00 assists per set and 1.45 digs per set on the week.
 
The Southbury, Connecticut, native ranks first in the conference and fifth in the nation in assists per set, averaging 9.81. He leads a Hobart squad that ranks second in the conference in assists (11.75) and kills (12.55). Farren's best performance of the week came in Wednesday's five-set loss to conference foe, Fisher. He recorded 44 assists, six digs, one block, one service ace and one kill in the loss.
 
The Statesmen will be back in action Wednesday, March 6, when they welcome the Golden Flyers to Bristol Gymnasium. The conference matchup between Hobart and Nazareth is set for 7 p.m. Fans who can't make it to Bristol Gym can follow the action with HWS All-Access Video and Live Stats.
 
ABOUT THE STATESMEN

• Hobart (12-7, 0-2) is ranked No. 16 in the AVCA national rankings and is looking for its first conference win in program history.
• Graduate student Andrew Kim leads the nation in kills per set (5.63) and points per set (6.36). First-year Daniel Sappia chips in 3.51 kills per set which ranks fifth in the UVC.
• Farren runs the offense from the setter position and is fifth in the nation with 9.81 assists per set.
• Kim (29) and Sappia (24) both rank in the top-10 in the conference in service aces.
• First-year libero Gavin Meador leads a scrappy Statesmen defense, averaging 2.53 digs per set. He is third in the conference in that category.
• First-years Nate Magni (39) and Grayson Getz (32) have combined for 71 blocks this season out of the middle for Hobart.

 
ABOUT THE GOLDEN FLYERS

• Nazareth (12-5, 0-1) is ranked No. 13 in the AVCA poll and is coming off a 3-0 loss to No. 9 Vassar on Friday.
• Owen Wickens ranks fourth in the conference and 13th in the nation in kills per set with 4.21. Wickens is third in the nation and second in the UVC with 5.91 points per set.
• AJ Burda is third in the conference in assists, averaging 9.18 per set. He ranks 21st in the nation.
• Wickens leads the nation from the service line, averaging 1.4 aces per set.
• Wickens and Jonathon Jackson lead Nazareth's defensive efforts averaging 1.79 and 1.66 digs per set, respectively. 
• Nathan DeJoy (36) and Andrew Bodensteiner (34) have combined for 70 blocks this season.