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