(This story was updated to add new information; AOTW winner.)

The votes are in and the Daily Advertiser's Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 30- Oct. 6 is Nyla Babineaux of Comeaux girls' volleyball. In an online poll that closed on Friday, Babineaux received close to 80% of votes cast for a total of 19,446 votes.

Babineaux earned this recognition after leading the Spartans to a victory over David Thibodeaux last week, where she was almost unstoppable. She led her team's offensive attack with nearly 20 kills to help the Spartans win the match 3-2. The 5-foot-6 junior middle hitter has continued to shine for her team as they kick off district play on Oct. 3.

Comeaux faced North Vermilion to kick off Division II District 4 play and once again the Spartans looked to Babineaux to lead it's offense. She racked up kills and aces to help the Spartans go toe to toe with the Raiders. Despite her stellar offensive performance the Spartans dropped the match losing 3-2. Babineaux led the Spartans comeback efforts but they just didn't have enough to top North Vermilion.

The Spartans are still on the hunt for their first district win as they sit at 3-5 overall with some final scores from matches not being reported yet. Despite struggling to start district play, Comeaux knows it has a dog on its side with Babineaux's relentless effort to get points for her team. She will look to help the Spartans finish with a better record than last year's 6-15 overall finish.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Anyone can nominate an athlete of the week for every sport. Nominate next week’s ballot through email. Readers can email nominations to sports reporter Shannon Belt at sbelt@recordnet.com. Please include the player's stats and a photo if possible.

Here's a look at the past winners:

• Sept. 7: Doug E Viltz, Teurlings Catholic, football

• Sept. 14: Brooks Resweber, swimming, St. Thomas More

• Sept. 22: Beverly Potier, girls' volleyball, St. Thomas More

• Sept. 29: Brooke Gill, swimming, Ascension Episcopal

Original story: As we approach midseason for high school fall sports in Lafayette Parish and its surrounding areas athletes are pulling out all the stops.

From record-setting to personal-best performances, athletes from the 337 have shined in order to help bring home big wins for their respective schools. With district play in full swing for most schools and sports, teams need wins more than ever as they set their sights on district championships and playoffs.

These six athletes had stellar outings this week to earn a spot in this week’s Athlete of the Week poll. The poll includes athletes from the following fall sports: football, swimming, cross country and girls volleyball. The poll can be found at the bottom of the story and closes on Friday.

Here are the candidates for Athlete of the Week for Sept. 30-Oct. 6 (athletes listed in alphabetical order):

Kay’len Alexander, girls volleyball, Southside: In the Sharks' Oct. 2 match vs. Vermilion Catholic, Alexander was locked in, in leading them to a 3-0 sweep. She led the team with 11 kills, four digs, three blocks and an ace.

Nyla Babineaux, girls volleyball, Comeaux: The Spartans were in a dogfight against David Thibodeaux, and lucky for them they had Babineaux leading them. The junior racked up a whopping 19 kills to help her team come away with a 3-2 victory.

Jonathan Dartez, football, Vermilion Catholic: Dartez has outdone himself as the Screaming Eagles continue their perfect start to the 2024 season. He set a school record in their Oct. 4 game vs. Riverside for single-game yards rushing (371) and total yardage in a single game (598).

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Thomas Landreneau, swimming, St. Thomas More: Landreneau swam to the top point scorer spot this week during a swim meet on Oct. 1. The senior won the 50- and 200-yard freestyle races helping the Cougars take home first place overall.

Abigail Leger, cross country, Teurlings Catholic: At the ESA's XC Invitational, Leger was a top performer for the Rebels. She finished in sixth place over 200 other runners in the 3-mile race, running it in 19:18 — a personal best.

Diesel Solari, football, Cecilia: Solari was on fire during the Bulldogs’ Week 5 matchup vs Notre Dame. The senior quarterback finished with a career-high five touchdowns to lead his team to a 50-46 victory over the Pios.

Editor's note: Anyone can nominate an athlete of the week for every sport. Nominate next week's ballot through email. Readers can email nominations to sports reporter Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com. Please include a player's statistics and a photo if possible.

All high school varsity players from Lafayette, Acadiana, St. Landry, St. Martin and Iberia parishes are eligible to be placed on the ballot. Nominations must be received by Monday morning following that week's games for consideration.

Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: The Daily Advertiser Athlete of the Week: Comeaux Nyla Babineaux