Natalia Newsome Earns ACC Defensive Player Of The Week Honor

DALLAS - Natalia Newsome is giving SMU another reason to believe it can contend with the best teams in the country.

The junior middle blocker was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week after a dominant two-match stretch in which she averaged 2.17 blocks per set, the best mark in the conference and fifth nationally for the week. 

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Newsome tied her career high with eight blocks in SMU’s sweep at Syracuse, including two solo blocks. She followed that performance with five more blocks as the Mustangs swept Boston College. 

The impact went beyond her individual numbers.

SMU averaged 4.50 blocks per set across the two matches, the best rate in the nation last week, while holding its opponents to a combined .042 hitting percentage.

That defensive pressure helped the Mustangs continue building momentum during the early portion of ACC play.

Newsome has also been one of the country’s most efficient offensive players. Through 14 matches, she leads the nation with a .528 hitting percentage, giving SMU a rare combination of elite efficiency and defensive production in the middle.

The weekly award is the first of Newsome’s career and gives SMU five ACC weekly honors this season. Since joining the conference in 2024, the Mustangs have collected 23 weekly league awards. 

The timing is ideal.

No. 6 SMU now heads into one of its biggest matches of the season, traveling to face No. 2 Pitt on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT on ACC Network.

Pitt star Olivia Babcock was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week, setting up a marquee matchup between one of the nation’s most productive attackers and one of its hottest middle blockers. 

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For Newsome, the recognition is significant.

For SMU, it may be even more important as proof that the Mustangs are getting elite production at the net entering a top-five showdown.