Nov. 16, 2009
BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
CO-OFFENSE
Lauren Gibbemeyer, Minnesota
Jr., MB, St. Paul, Minn./Cretin Derham Hall
Gibbemeyer led Minnesota to a pair of road wins against Iowa and Wisconsin over the weekend, pushing the Golden Gophers over the 20-wins mark for the second consecutive year. The junior opened the weekend with 10 kills on .364 hitting, adding two assists, three total blocks and a dig in a sweep over Iowa, picking up her 1,000th career kill in the first set. On Sunday against the Badgers, she put down 14 kills at a .480 clip with a career-high 12 blocks and six digs in another three-set win. For the weekend, Gibbemeyer averaged 4.0 kills on .426 hitting with 2.5 total blocks and 1.2 digs per set. She also became just the sixth player in Minnesota history to register over 1,000 kills and 400 blocks in her career. The weekly honor is the second of Gibbemeyer’s career and her first this season.
Last MINN POW: Christine Tan (defense), Oct. 5, 2009
Blair Brown, Penn State
Jr., OPP, Purcellville, Va./Loudon Valley
Brown led the Penn State offense as the Nittany Lions extended their winning streak to 92 matches with wins against No. 5 Illinois and Northwestern over the weekend. She combined for a team-leading 26 kills (4.33 kps) on a squad-best .524 hitting average, also finishing second on the team with five total blocks (0.83 bps). Brown also contributed four assists, two aces and six digs on the weekend. She opened play against the Illini on Friday by tying her career high with a team-high 17 kills at a .538 clip, also adding two assists, an ace, one block and five digs. The following night against Northwestern, she put down nine kills at a team-best .500 hitting average, tying for second on the squad with four total blocks. The weekly honor is the first of Brown’s career.
Last PSU POW: Megan Hodge (offense), Nov. 2, 2009
DEFENSE
Ashley Benson, Indiana
Jr., MB, Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington NorthBenson helped Indiana to a split with Michigan State and No. 14 Michigan, leading the defense with 1.8 blocks per set, including a career-high 11 stuffs against the Spartans on Friday. The following night, she led the Hoosiers back from a 2-0 deficit against the Wolverines, forcing a fifth set on the strength of nine stuffs, including two solos. Benson ranks among the nation’s leaders at the net, improving her season average to 1.13 blocks per set, which is sixth in the Big Ten. On the weekend, the junior also contributed 3.3 kills per set on .365 hitting with five total digs and a service ace. The weekly accolade is the third of Benson’s career and her first for a defensive performance.
Last IND POW: Caitlin Cox (defense), Sept. 14, 2009
FRESHMAN
Anna Drewry, Purdue
MB, San Antonio, Texas/Tom C. Clark
Drewry earns Freshman of the Week honors for the second straight week after leading Purdue with 3.0 kills on .524 hitting against No. 14 Michigan and Michigan State over the weekend. Against the Wolverines on Friday, she posted a then-career-best 11 kills on .529 hitting with six blocks and a dig. The following night vs. the Spartans, she improved on her career high with 13 kills at a .524 clip with two stuffs. The double-digit kills performances were her second and third of the season, and she has now hit at or above the .460 mark in each of her last five matches.
Last PUR FOW: Anna Drewry, Nov. 9, 2009
