Nov. 10, 2008
BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
Laura DeBruler, Illinois
So., OH, Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North
DeBruler became just the second player in Illinois history to eclipse the 1,000 career digs mark in her first two seasons, now with 1,023. The sophomore recorded two double-doubles on the road over the weekend, first with 22 kills and 14 digs in a 3-1 win over Iowa, followed by a 29-kill, 13-dig performance in a five-set match against No. 17 Minnesota. The Downers Grove, Ill., native leads the conference with 16 overall double-doubles and eight in Big Ten play. She is also the only player in the conference to rank in the top 10 in kills and digs per set. For the weekend, DeBruler averaged 5.7 kills per set on .305 hitting with 27 total digs and five total blocks for an average of 6.06 points per set. The award is DeBruler’s second this season and the fourth of her career.
Last ILL POW: Ashley Edinger (defense), Nov. 3, 2008
CO-DEFENSE
Christine Tan, Minnesota
Jr., LIB, Safety Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor
Tan helped the Golden Gophers climb into a tie for second place in the conference standings with a pair of home wins against No. 18 Purdue and No. 16 Illinois over the weekend. The junior recorded 21 digs and an ace and was perfect on 17 service reception attempts as Minnesota swept the Boilermakers on Friday. On Saturday, the libero recorded 26 saves, one ace and two assists while converting on 31 of 33 service reception opportunities in a five-set win over the Illini. Behind Tan’s passing, the Gophers hit for a combined .288 percentage on the weekend while limiting their opponents to a .213 average. Tan recorded her 10th and 11th 20-dig performances over the weekend and moved into third place at Minnesota with 1,299 career digs. The award is Tan’s fifth of the season and the seventh of her career, tying her for fifth all-time in the Big Ten.
Last MINN POW: Brook Dieter (offense), Oct. 20, 2008
Arielle Wilson, Penn State
So., MH, Broadview, Ill./Proviso East
Wilson helped the Nittany Lions remain perfect in matches and sets last week, averaging 2.0 blocks and 2.8 kills as Penn State swept Indiana and Michigan State. Against the Hoosiers on Wednesday, Wilson tallied five kills on nine errorless attacks to hit at a .556 clip. She also tied her season high with nine total blocks, holding Indiana to -.020 hitting on the night. Versus the Spartans on Friday, Wilson racked up a season-high 12 kills on 17 errorless swings to hit .706 while adding three stuffs at the net. Behind Wilson’s block, PSU’s opponents hit at a combined .027 mark last week, while the Nittany Lions’ foes are hitting at a season-long average of .066. On the year, Wilson is averaging 1.37 blocks per set and is part of the Nittany Lion squad that leads the nation with a 3.26 blocks-per-set average. The weekly award is Wilson’s second this season and the fourth of her career.
Last PSU POW: Arielle Wilson (offense), Oct. 13, 2008
