The Big Ten split their Player of the Week award between two players that had a great week – Michigan’s Carly Skjodt and Penn State’s Simone Lee.
Skjodt slammed down 4.1 kills and 2.6 digs on her way to the Co-Player of the Week. Her output helped the Wolverines to the Michigan Challenge title and the MVP of the tournament. This is Skjodt’s first career Player of the Week honor.
Lee pounded 3.6 kills and 1.7 digs per set to help Penn State take the Penn State Classic championship, MVP of the tournament and the Co-Player of the Week accolade. Against Wake Forest, Lee served up a career-best five aces, adding 10 kills and two blocks on a .818 hitting clip in the sweep. This is Lee’s second Player of the Week award.
Additionally, the Big Ten named Illinois’ Brandi Donnelly the Defensive Player of the Week, Minnesota’s Samantha Seliger-Swenson as Setter of the Week and Iowa’s Gabrielle Orr and Minnesota’s Stephanie Samedy as Co-Freshmen of the Week.
Donnelly picked up 68 digs for the week to help Illinois to the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational title. Over the course of the team’s matches, Donnelly committed just one reception error in 49 attempts to hold their opponents to a .133 hitting percentage. This is Donnelly’s fourth Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor and her first of the 2017 season.
Seliger-Swenson has now received her eighth career Setter of the Week honor, with her last coming on September 5 of this year. The junior setter dished out 139 assists on the week for an average of 11.6 assists per set.
Orr handed out 117 assists for the week for an average of 11.7 assists per set to help lead Iowa to the American Volleyball Classic title. Iowa is now 11-2, their best start since 2006 with the help of Orr. This is Iowa’s first Freshman of the Week honor since its inception in 2009. Samedy averaged 4.7 kills on the right side for the Gophers, posting two double-doubles and a .322 hitting clip. This is Samedy’s second career Freshman of the Week honor, with her last coming on August 28.
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
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