Vernon made it back-to-back NEC Rookie of the Week accolades after pacing the Sharks in kills in a pair of matches against Golden State powers. The freshman out of Provo, UT posted 11 kills and five digs while hitting .320 in a 3-0 setback at No. 17 CSUN last Wednesday. One day later, he registered 11 more kills and added four digs in a three-set loss at No. 2 Long Beach State. Vernon averaged 3.67 kills and 1.50 digs per set on the week. He currently leads the NEC in both kills (4.54) and points (5.08) per set, numbers that rank him fourth and sixth, respectively, in the nation.