Illinois, Penn State and Purdue Reel in Final Weekly Awards of 2012 Season
Fighting Illini’s Birks and Luhrsen, Nittany Lions’ Courtney and Slay and Boilermakers’ Turner receive conference recognition
Player of the Week
Ariel Turner, Purdue
OH – Sr. – Highlands Ranch, Colo. – Mountain Vista
· Averaged 6.0 kills on .373 hitting, 4.4 digs and 1.3 blocks per set in wins over Indiana (3-0) and Wisconsin (3-1), recording double-doubles in both matches
· Opened the weekend with 18 kills, 14 digs and six blocks in a sweep of the Hoosiers
· Notched 24 kills, 17 digs and three blocks against the Badgers
· Reels in the seventh Player of the Week honor of her career and ninth award overall
· Last Purdue Player of the Week: Ariel Turner (Oct. 1, 2012)
Defensive Player of the Week
Katie Slay, Penn State
MH – Jr. – Raleigh, N.C. – Wakefield
· Led No. 1 Penn State’s defense in sweeps of No. 14 Ohio State and Michigan State
· Notched 13 blocks over the weekend, an average of 2.2 per set, including eight against the Spartans
· Tallied five blocks, including one solo, against the Buckeyes
· Hit .464 for the weekend, averaging 2.5 kills per set
· Earns her sixth Defensive Player of the Week honor and seventh overall award
· Last Penn State Defensive Player of the Week: Katie Slay (Oct. 8, 2012)
Setter of the Week
Annie Luhrsen, Illinois
S – Sr. – Wheaton, Ill. – Wheaton-Warrenville South
· Averaged 14.0 assists, 2.1 digs and 0.5 blocks in wins against Iowa (3-0) and Northwestern (3-2)
· Posted 64 assists, nine digs and three blocks against the Wildcats
· Tallied 48 assists, eight digs and one block against the Hawkeyes
· Takes home her first Setter of the Week honor and second overall award
· Last Illinois Setter of the Week: N/A
Co-Freshman of the Week
Jocelynn Birks, Illinois
OH – Willow Springs, Ill. – Lyons Township
· Averaged 5.9 kills on .241 hitting, 2.8 digs and 0.6 blocks per set in wins over Iowa (3-0) and Northwestern (3-2)
· Notched a double-double in the five-set win over the Wildcats, posting a career-high 28 kills, 13 digs and four blocks
· Tallied 19 kills, nine digs and one block against the Hawkeyes
· Earns her fourth Freshman of the Week honor and fifth award overall
· Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Jocelynn Birks (Nov. 19, 2012)
Megan Courtney, Penn State
OH – Dayton, Ohio – Archbishop Alter
· Helped No. 1 Penn State to sweeps of No. 14 Ohio State and Michigan State
· Notched 11 blocks over the weekend, an average of 1.8 per set, including six against the Spartans
· Tallied five blocks, including two solo, against the Buckeyes
· Earns her first career Big Ten honor
· Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Micha Hancock (Nov. 28, 2011)
2012 Big Ten Volleyball Players of the Week
Aug. 27 P: Lexi Erwin, Jr., MICH
Lauren Cook, Sr., NEB
D: Katie Slay, Jr., PSU
S: Lauren Cook, Sr., NEB
F: Katie Gallagher, IND
Sept. 3 P: Micha Hancock, So., PSU
D: Kori Moster, So., MSU
Tori Dixon, Jr., MINN
S: Micha Hancock, So., PSU
F: Meghan Haggerty, NEB
Sept. 10 P: Katherine Harms, Sr., MINN
D: Mary Ording, Sr., WIS
S: Madalyn Shalter, Sr., NU
F: Meghan Haggerty, NEB
Sept. 17 P: Jocelynn Birks, Fr., ILL
D: Alexis Mathews, Jr., MSU
S: Madalyn Shalter, Sr., NU
F: Jocelynn Birks, ILL
Sept. 24 P: Katherine Harms, Sr., MINN
D: Carly Cramer, Jr., PUR
S: Alexandra Palmer, Jr., MINN
Micha Hancock, So., PSU
F: Annie Drews, PUR
Oct. 1 P: Ariel Turner, Sr., PUR
D: Tiffany Morales, Fr., MICH
S: Micha Hancock, So., PSU
F: Tiffany Morales, Fr., MICH
Oct. 8 P: Alex Lovell, So., IOWA
D: Katie Slay, Jr., PSU
S: Lauren Cook, Sr., NEB
F: Daly Santana, MINN
Oct. 15 P: Jennifer Cross, Jr., MICH
D: Ariel Turner, Sr., PUR
S: Lauren Cook, Sr., NEB
F: Alexis Viliunas, ILL
Oct. 22 P: Lauren Wicinski, Jr., MSU
D: Caitlin Hansen, Jr., IND
S: Micha Hancock, So., PSU
F: Daly Santana, MINN
Oct. 29 P: Katherine Harms, Sr., MINN
D: Annemarie Hickey, Jr., WIS
S: Amanda Peterson, Sr., OSU
F: Meghan Haggerty, NEB
Nov. 5 P: Ariel Scott, Jr., PSU
D: Tori Dixon, Jr., MINN
S: Lexi Dannemiller, So., MICH
Micha Hancock, So., PSU
F: Jocelynn Birks, ILL
Nov. 12 P: Mari Hole, Sr., OSU
D: Hayley Thramer, Jr., NEB
S: Lexi Dannemiller, So., MICH
F: Meghan Haggerty, NEB
Nov. 19 P: Stephanie Holthus, Jr., NU
Mari Hole, Sr., OSU
D: Tori Dixon, Jr., MINN
S: Micha Hancock, So., PSU
F: Jocelynn Birks, ILL
Nov. 26 P: Ariel Turner, Sr., PUR
D: Katie Slay, Jr., PSU
S: Annie Luhrsen, Sr., ILL
F: Jocelynn Birks, ILL
Megan Courtney, PSU
