Big Ten Co-Player of the Week
OH - Jess Mruzik, Penn State (SR)
- Hit .326, averaging 6.00 kills/set while adding 2.71 digs/set in No. 4 Penn State's wins over No. 10 Purdue and Michigan State
- Led the attack in a 3-0 road sweep of the Boilermakers with 13 kills in addition to nine digs
- Hit .356 with 29 kills vs. Michigan State, finishing with 10 digs for her first double-double of the season
- Her 29 kills were the most ever by a Penn State player in a four-set match during the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present) and the most in any match since Jonni Parker had 29 in a five-set win over Minnesota in 2018
- Last Penn State Player of the Week: Jess Mruzik (Sept. 25, 2023)
Big Ten Co-Player of the Week
OH - Alissa Kinkela, Rutgers (JR)
- Averaged 5.30 kills/set, hitting .446 and averaged 2.40 digs/set in Rutgers' two five-set Big Ten matches last week
- Set the program record for kills in a match (29) against Iowa, hitting .429 against the Hawkeyes and recorded 10 digs for her second double-double of the season and ninth of her career. Also tied her season-high with four blocks
- Followed that performance with 24 kills in a five-set match at Michigan. Helped Rutgers earn two set victories vs. Michigan for the first time in program history and first set win in Ann Arbor since 2015
- Surpassed 600 career kills behind her 24 kills at an efficient .432 clip. Added 14 digs for back-to-back double-doubles in the opening week of Big Ten play.
- Kinkela is the first Rutgers volleyball player to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week
L - Lexi Rodriguez, Nebraska (SR)
- Had a season-high 20 digs in a 3-1 win against UCLA on Friday and followed up with 13 digs in a 3-0 sweep of No. 20 USC on Sunday
- Helped hold the Bruins to a season-low .153 hitting percentage and USC to a season-low .137 hitting percentage
- For the week, Rodriguez averaged 4.71 digs/set, which was second in the Big Ten in the opening week of conference play
- Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Lexi Rodriguez (Nov. 20, 2023)
Big Ten Setter of the Week
S - Izzy Starck, Penn State (FR)
- Averaged 13.29 assists/set and 3.00 digs/set while guiding Penn State to .296 hitting in wins over No. 10 Purdue and Michigan State
- Starck's 93 assists and 13.29/set were the most among Big Ten setters in the opening week of conference play
- The Nittany Lions hit .369 in the Big Ten opener at Purdue behind 38 assists from Starck who added 13 digs for her fourth double-double of the season
- Piled up 55 assists over four sets in the Nittany Lions' win over Michigan State. Starck added eight digs and two blocks in the 3-1 victory
- The 55 assists were the most by a Penn State player in a four-set match since Seleisa Elisaia had 55 in a four-set win over Maryland in 2022
- Last Penn State Setter of the Week: Mac Podraza (Nov. 20, 2023)
Big Ten Freshman of the Week
OH - Malu Garcia, Iowa (FR)
- Matched a career-high with 17 kills in Iowa's 3-2 win over Rutgers and followed up that performance with 11 kills in the Hawkeyes' second five-set win of the week over Maryland
- Added nine blocks and eight digs vs. Rutgers, leading Iowa to its first win in Big Ten play since November 2022
- At Maryland, Garcia added five blocks to average 1.40 blocks/set in the Hawkeyes' 2-0 week
- Last Iowa Freshman of the Week: Brie Orr (Sept. 18, 2017)
