ORLANDO, Fla. - Lynn volleyball standouts Lira Pukl Verdel and Ula Gorjup earned Sunshine State Conference weekly honors following a perfect weekend that saw the Fighting Knights pick up conference victories over Eckerd and Saint Leo. Pukl Verdel was named the SSC Offensive Player of the Week, while Gorjup collected SSC Setter of the Week honors.
 
Pukl Verdel powered the Lynn attack with 35 kills across eight sets, averaging 4.38 kills and 5.13 points per set while hitting .313. The sophomore outside hitter added 22 digs, three service aces and four blocks as the Fighting Knights improved to 11-2 overall and 3-1 in SSC play.    
 
The Maribor, Slovenia native opened the weekend with a dominant performance in Lynn's five-set comeback victory over Eckerd. Pukl Verdel hammered a match-high 22 kills while adding 13 digs and two aces for her second double-double of the season. She accounted for 25 points in the victory and helped the Fighting Knights rally from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1.
 
Pukl Verdel carried that momentum into Saturday's sweep of Saint Leo, finishing with 13 kills on just 26 attacks with two errors for a .423 hitting percentage. She added nine digs, three blocks and an ace while totaling 16 points as Lynn completed its perfect weekend.
 
Gorjup was equally impressive in directing the Fighting Knight offense, totaling 88 assists over eight sets for an average of 11.00 assists per set. The junior added 18 digs, four blocks and two service aces while helping Lynn average 14.25 kills per set across the two victories.
 
The Ljubljana, Slovenia native opened the weekend with 52 assists and 15 digs for a double-double in the five-set victory over Eckerd. Gorjup followed with 36 assists in just three sets against Saint Leo, averaging 12.00 assists per set while adding two aces and three blocks. She helped guide Lynn to a .346 hitting percentage in the sweep, as the Fighting Knights committed just nine attacking errors on 104 attempts.
 
The honor marks Gorjup's second consecutive SSC Setter of the Week award, while Pukl Verdel collects her second SSC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the 2026 season.
 
UP NEXT:
Lynn returns to the road on Friday, Oct. 2 as the Fighting Knights travel to Winter Park for an SSC matchup against Rollins at 7:00 p.m.