Post by VBSID on Oct 2, 2006 12:08:10 GMT -5
Harmotto Tabbed Big Ten Women’s Volleyball Co-Player of the Week
Sophomore middle hitter averaged 4.83 kills per game on .650 at Indiana, No. 11 Purdue
University Park, Pa., Oct. 2, 2006 – Penn State women’s volleyball sophomore middle hitter Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) has been named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, conference officials announced today. She shares the award with Minnesota’s Meredith Nelson.
It is the second career honor for Harmotto, who also earned the award last season on Oct. 10. The accolade is also the fourth of the season for the second-ranked Nittany Lions, as Harmotto joins sophomore Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio) and freshmen Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) and Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) in earning the award this year, and brings Penn State’s total Big Ten Player of the Week honors to 48 since joining the conference for the 1991 season.
Penn State’s four Big Ten Player of the Week honors, earned by four different players, marks only the fifth time since 1983 that one school has four separate student-athletes win the accolade. Penn State’s 1997 and 2005 squads all had five different players earn the honor while Michigan State’s 1995 and 1999 teams boasted four different players winning the award. However, the 2006 Nittany Lion squad becomes the youngest of the group, with two freshmen and two sophomores picking up the honors. The previous four teams that accomplished the feat had at least one junior included in the list.
Harmotto aided the No. 2 Nittany Lions to two important Big Ten wins, including a three-game sweep at No. 11 Purdue, as Penn State improved to 15-0 and 4-0 in league action. The sophomore middle hitter set a new career high with 16 kills at Indiana on Friday night, with those kills coming on a team-high .542 hitting, while also ranking second on the squad with two stuffs in the three-game match. The following night in the crucial matchup with the Boilermakers, Harmotto was virtually unstoppable, connecting on 13 of her 16 errorless swings to hit a career-best .812, also adding two blocks.
For the weekend, Harmotto averaged 4.83 kills per game on an astounding .650 hitting through six games with 0.67 blocks per game.
Penn State returns home this weekend to host Minnesota and No. 14 Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7 at Rec Hall at 7:00 p.m. each night.
For more information on the Penn State women’s volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.
Meredith Nelson, Minnesota
Sr., MB, St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls
In two Minnesota wins last week over Michigan and Michigan State, Nelson averaged 6.1 digs, 4.0 kills and 0.8 blocks per game while hitting .313. Her efforts last Sunday against MSU were highlighted by a career-high 24 kills off of .476 (24-4-42) hitting, including a personal-best three service aces.
Last MINN POW: Kelly Bowman (10/25/04)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lizzie Bazzetta, Illinois
So., S, Naperville, Ill./Naperville North
Bazzetta, who came into the week ranked fourth in the nation with 13.72 assists per game, elevated that average with 100 assists in seven games last weekend for a 14.24 average. She also posted her sixth double-double of her career with 59 assists and 23 digs in the four-game victory over Iowa.
Last ILL DPOW: Beth Vrdsky (11/21/05)
Sophomore middle hitter averaged 4.83 kills per game on .650 at Indiana, No. 11 Purdue
University Park, Pa., Oct. 2, 2006 – Penn State women’s volleyball sophomore middle hitter Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) has been named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, conference officials announced today. She shares the award with Minnesota’s Meredith Nelson.
It is the second career honor for Harmotto, who also earned the award last season on Oct. 10. The accolade is also the fourth of the season for the second-ranked Nittany Lions, as Harmotto joins sophomore Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio) and freshmen Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) and Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) in earning the award this year, and brings Penn State’s total Big Ten Player of the Week honors to 48 since joining the conference for the 1991 season.
Penn State’s four Big Ten Player of the Week honors, earned by four different players, marks only the fifth time since 1983 that one school has four separate student-athletes win the accolade. Penn State’s 1997 and 2005 squads all had five different players earn the honor while Michigan State’s 1995 and 1999 teams boasted four different players winning the award. However, the 2006 Nittany Lion squad becomes the youngest of the group, with two freshmen and two sophomores picking up the honors. The previous four teams that accomplished the feat had at least one junior included in the list.
Harmotto aided the No. 2 Nittany Lions to two important Big Ten wins, including a three-game sweep at No. 11 Purdue, as Penn State improved to 15-0 and 4-0 in league action. The sophomore middle hitter set a new career high with 16 kills at Indiana on Friday night, with those kills coming on a team-high .542 hitting, while also ranking second on the squad with two stuffs in the three-game match. The following night in the crucial matchup with the Boilermakers, Harmotto was virtually unstoppable, connecting on 13 of her 16 errorless swings to hit a career-best .812, also adding two blocks.
For the weekend, Harmotto averaged 4.83 kills per game on an astounding .650 hitting through six games with 0.67 blocks per game.
Penn State returns home this weekend to host Minnesota and No. 14 Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7 at Rec Hall at 7:00 p.m. each night.
For more information on the Penn State women’s volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.
Meredith Nelson, Minnesota
Sr., MB, St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls
In two Minnesota wins last week over Michigan and Michigan State, Nelson averaged 6.1 digs, 4.0 kills and 0.8 blocks per game while hitting .313. Her efforts last Sunday against MSU were highlighted by a career-high 24 kills off of .476 (24-4-42) hitting, including a personal-best three service aces.
Last MINN POW: Kelly Bowman (10/25/04)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lizzie Bazzetta, Illinois
So., S, Naperville, Ill./Naperville North
Bazzetta, who came into the week ranked fourth in the nation with 13.72 assists per game, elevated that average with 100 assists in seven games last weekend for a 14.24 average. She also posted her sixth double-double of her career with 59 assists and 23 digs in the four-game victory over Iowa.
Last ILL DPOW: Beth Vrdsky (11/21/05)