Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State and Wisconsin Earn Weekly Volleyball Awards
Illinois’ Megan Cooney, Minnesota’s Alexis Hart and Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Penn State’s Kendall White and Wisconsin’s Dana Rettke earn weekly honors
Player of the Week
Alexis Hart, Minnesota
OH – So. – Kansas City, Mo. – Truman
• Averaged 4.5 kills and 1.2 digs per set with a .367 hitting percentage to help No. 6 Minnesota defeat No. 16 Purdue and Iowa on the weekend
• Put down 11 kills on a hitting clip of .308, while adding two digs and two aces in the Gophers’ straight-set win over No. 16 Purdue
• Posted a career-high 16 kills, while adding five digs and four blocks to hit .412 against Iowa
• Earns her first career Player of the Week award
• Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Stephanie Samedy (Aug. 28, 2017)
Defensive Player of the Week
Kendall White, Penn State
L – So. – Indianapolis, Ind. – Cathedral
• Registered 26 digs, four assists and a service ace on the weekend to hold No. 2 Penn State’s opponents to a combined .219 hitting percentage on the weekend
• Posted 13 digs and three assists in the Nittany Lions’ four-set victory over No. 10 Michigan State
• Earned 13 digs on 13 reception attempts to help the team hit .394 in the straight-set win against Michigan
• Collects her first career Defensive Player of the Week accolade
• Last Penn State Defensive Player of the Week: Dominique Gonzalez (Sept. 29, 2014)
Setter of the Week
Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Minnesota
S – Jr. – Minnetonka, Minn. – Hopkins
• Posted 75 set assists to average 12.5 per set in guiding No. 6 Minnesota to wins over No. 16 Purdue and Iowa
• Registered a double-double with 36 assists and 15 digs to help the Gophers hit .298 in their straight-set victory over No. 16 Purdue Â
• Added 39 assists, 10 digs and a pair of aces for her second double-double of the weekend in the Gophers’ 3-0 win over Iowa
• Receives her 10th career Setter of the Week citation and fourth of the season
• Last Minnesota Setter of the Week: Samantha Seliger-Swenson (Oct. 9, 2017)
Co-Freshmen of the Week
Megan Cooney, Illinois
OH – Topeka, Kan. – Shawnee Heights
• Averaged 3.2 kills per set as Illinois went 2-0 in Big Ten action on the weekend
• Posted a team-high 11 kills and hit .333 in the Illini’s straight-set win over Ohio State
• Registered eight kills and three digs in the 3-0 victory against Maryland
• Garners her first Freshman of the Week honor
• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Jacqueline Quade (Sept. 26, 2016)
Dana Rettke, Wisconsin
MB – Riverside, Ill. – Riverside-Brookfield
• Averaged 3.0 kills and 2.0 blocks per set with a .459 hitting percentage as No. 11 Wisconsin went 2-0 in Big Ten action on the weekend
• Registered a match-high eight blocks, while adding 12 kills and an ace against No. 4 Nebraska
• Posted nine kills, six blocks and hit .400 in the Badgers’ win over Indiana
• Garners her fifth Freshman of the Week honor
• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Dana Rettke (Oct. 2, 2017)
2017 Big Ten Players of the Week
Aug. 28
P: Stephanie Samedy, Fr., MINN
P: Dana Rettke, Fr., WIS
D: Ali Bastianelli, Jr., ILL
S: Sydney Hilley, Fr., WIS
F: Stephanie Samedy, MINN
F: Dana Rettke, WIS
Sept. 5
P: Haleigh Washington, Sr., PSU
D: Briana Holman, Sr., NEB
S: Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Jr., MINN
F: Sydney Hilley, WIS
Sept. 11
P: Ali Frantti, Sr., PSU
D: Tionna Williams, Jr., WIS
S: Kelly Hunter, Sr., NEB
F: Hannah Gruensfelder, OSU
F: Dana Rettke, WIS
Sept. 18
P: Carly Skjodt, Jr., MICH
P: Simone Lee, Sr., PSU
D: Brandi Donnelly, Sr., ILL
S: Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Jr., MINN
F: Gabrielle Orr, IOWA
F: Stephanie Samedy, MINN
Sept. 25
P: Annika Albrecht, Sr., NEB
D: Autumn Bailey, Sr., MSU
D: Molly Lohman, Sr., MINN
S: Kelly Hunter, Sr., NEB
F: Dana Rettke, WIS
Oct. 2
P: Haleigh Washington, Sr., PSU
D: Claire Kieffer-Wright, Sr., MICH
S: Ashley Evans, Sr., PUR
F: Dana Rettke, WIS
Oct. 9
P: Haleigh Washington, Sr., PSU
D: Molly Lohman, Sr., MINN
S: Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Jr., MINN
F: Jasmyn Martin, MINN
Oct. 16
P: Alexis Hart, So., MINN
D: Kendall White, So., PSU
S: Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Jr., MINN
F: Megan Cooney, ILL
F: Dana Rettke, WIS