PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Bethune-Cookman Volleyball student-athlete Niara Hightower has been named the 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Blocker of the Year, announced Thursday evening at the end-of-year banquet prior to the start of the SWAC Volleyball Tournament in Prairie View, Texas. The vote consisted of head coaches and sports information directors from around the league.
 
Hightower, a 6-foot-2, junior from Wichita Falls, Texas, becomes Bethune-Cookman's first SWAC Blocker of the Year and the first for Head Coach Brittany Williams – with the Wildcats joining the conference in 2021-22, respectfully.
 
The Hirschi High product led the SWAC in total blocks for nearly the entire regular season. She finished the campaign with a league-best 107 blocks, averaging 1.14 per set. She also went on to post 114 kills (1.21 per set) and collected 10 assists to go along with eight service aces. Hightower began the season with five assisted blocks against Marshall in the Bash at the Beach hosted by BCU. She tallied a season-high nine (9) blocks at the SWAC Cluster #1 event hosted at Texas Southern.
 
Additionally, Hightower earned a spot on the All-SWAC Second Team as a middle blocker to go along with her individual performance award. This is her first All-SWAC Team selection since arriving to Daytona Beach as a true freshman in 2021.
 
Alabama State's Jada Rhodes was named Player of the Year, while her fellow teammate Madison Beasley was tabbed Seter of the Year. Florida A&M's Brooke Hudson was named Libero of the Year.

Alabama A&M's Saldy Amparo-Smith was named Newcomer of the Year, while Prairie View A&M's Janyah Henderson was tabbed Freshman of the Year rounding out the list of SWAC Volleyball individual award winners.
 
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