Michigan, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin Earn Weekly Volleyball Awards
Michigan’s Claire Kieffer-Wright, Purdue’s Ashley Evans, Penn State’s Haleigh Washington and Wisconsin’s Dana Rettke earn weekly honors
Player of the Week
Haleigh Washington, Penn State
MB – Sr. – Colorado Spring, Co. – Doherty
• Averaged 3.5 kills and 1.5 blocks per set with a .556 hitting percentage to help No. 3 Penn State defeat Illinois and Northwestern in straight sets
• Led the team against Illinois with 11 kills, four blocks and two aces on a hitting clip of .647
• Added 10 kills, five blocks and three digs to hit .474 against Northwestern
• Earns her seventh career Player of the Week award
• Last Penn State Player of the Week: Ali Frantti (Sept. 11, 2017)
Defensive Player of the Week
Claire Kieffer-Wright, Michigan
MB – Sr. – South Pasadena, Calif. – South Pasadena
• Averaged 2.0 blocks and 3.5 kills per set to pace Michigan to back-to-back victories against Maryland and Ohio State
• Recorded a career-best nine blocks and added 13 kills against the Buckeyes
• Led the Wolverines in blocks (16) and kills (28) at a .440 attack average for the weekend
• Collects her first career Defensive Player of the Week accolade
• Last Michigan Defensive Player of the Week: Jenna Lerg (Nov. 28, 2016)
Setter of the Week
Ashley Evans, Purdue
S – Sr. – Liberty Township, Ohio – Lakota East
• Averaged 12.0 set assists per set with a .444 hitting percentage in guiding No. 19 Purdue to a pair of straight-set wins over Indiana
• Registered 72 set assists, 11 digs, five kills and three blocks across two matches
• Has guided the Boilermakers to the second-best hitting percentage in the nation (.351) and the Big Ten’s best kills per set average (14.64) this season
• The Academic All-Big Ten honoree receives her first career Setter of the Week citation
• Last Purdue Setter of the Week: Val Nichol (Sept. 1, 2014)
Freshman of the Week
Dana Rettke, Wisconsin
MB – Fr. – Riverside, Ill. – Riverside-Brookfield
• Averaged 2.9 kills and 1.3 blocks per set with a .396 hitting percentage as No. 7 Wisconsin went 1-1 in Big Ten action on the weekend
• Led the Badgers with 12 kills and four blocks at Iowa, hitting an error free .600
• Registered 11 kills, six blocks and an ace against No. 8 Nebraska
• Garners her fourth Freshman of the Week honor
• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Dana Rettke (Sept. 25, 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