Helfant Collects First Skyline Men’s Volleyball Player of the Week Honor

NEW YORK — Following a week in which he logged a trio of double-doubles and averaged 16 kills and 16.33 digs, junior outside hitter Alex Helfant (Quito, Ecuador/Alliance Academy International) of the St. Joseph's University, N.Y. (Brooklyn) men's volleyball team was named Skyline Conference Player of the Week on Tuesday morning.

Helfant's week began last Thursday night with 11 kills against Mount Saint Vincent to lead all players. The Ecuador native's six kills in the third set sparked a comeback down two sets before the Dolphins claimed the 3-0 sweep. He also brought up 12 digs in the effort.

In Saturday's tri-match opener against Yeshiva, he finished with 17 kills and as many digs. Helfant's six service aces over the course of the four-setter were a career-best as the Bears propelled to a 3-1 win over the Maccabees.

His total kills and digs against Yeshiva were also career-highs until they were surpassed by 20 kills and as many digs against Sarah Lawrence to conclude the tri-match, hitting at a .259 clip. His kills are tied for third-most in a single-game this season in the conference.

Helfant's 96 kills and 2.59 kills per set both top the team this season. His seven service aces over both ends of Sunday's tri-match brought him to a team-leading 15 this season.

Helfant's weekly accolade, in addition to Leonel Bravo's (Astoria, N.Y./Queens Vocational & Technical), Libero of the Week nod last month, marks the first time in program history multiple weekly honors were garnered in the same season. Helfant is the third Bear to earn Skyline Player of the Week following Thomas Kennedy and current head coach Sean Salomons in 2016 and 2019, respectively.

Bravo was selected to the Weekly Honor Roll as he averaged 20.67 digs in the Bears 2-1 week, headlined by 32 against the Gryphons.

Helfant and the Bears hit the court again this Saturday, March 18 with a Skyline tri-match hosted by Purchase College. SJBK and New Jersey City University will be first up at noon followed by the Bears' meeting with the host Panthers at 2 p.m. Live stats and video will be available on sjbkathletics.com/live.