Player of the Week
Stephanie Samedy, Minnesota
Sr. – OPP – Clermont, Fla. – East Ridge – Major: Human Resources
• Averaged 5.13 kills, 3.88 digs and 1.00 blocks per set with a .304 hitting percentage and two double-doubles last week as the No. 9 Gophers opened conference play with wins over Michigan and Maryland
• Registered her second 30-kill match of the season on Sept. 24 vs. Michigan, finishing with 30 kills (one off her career high), 17 digs and three blocks in Minnesota’s five-set win
• Added 11 kills, 14 digs and five blocks in Sunday’s victory over Maryland
• Selected for Academic All-Big Ten recognition in 2019 and was last year’s Senior CLASS Award recipient in the sport of volleyball
• Earns her 10th career Player of the Week honor (tying Wisconsin’s Dana Rettke for third-most in Big Ten history) and second this season
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Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Stephanie Samedy (Sept. 13, 2021) Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Rainelle Jones, Maryland
Sr. – MB – Oxon Hill, Md. – Oxon Hill – Major: American Studies
• Posted 1.63 blocks per set in Maryland’s two Big Ten matches last week, including a five-set win over No. 2 Wisconsin on Sept. 24
• Tied her season high with 11 blocks, with a career-best four solo stuffs, in the Terrapins’ landmark win over Wisconsin
• Helped Maryland to its first-ever victory against a top-10 opponent and first against a ranked team since Nov. 7, 2018 (vs. No. 15 Michigan)
• Garners her first career Defensive Player of the Week accolade
• Last Maryland Defensive Player of the Week: Allegra Rivas (Nov. 12, 2018)
Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Jael Johnson, Purdue
Sr. – MB – Mooresville, Ind. – Avon – Major: Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
• Tallied 1.63 blocks, 1.38 kills and 0.75 digs per set in No. 7 Purdue’s two conference-opening victories last week against No. 3 Ohio State and Indiana
• Matched her career high with seven block assists and added a career-best six digs, along with eight kills, in the Sept. 24 win over OSU
• Named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree last season
• Receives the first Defensive Player of the Week award of her career (was named Player of the Week on Feb. 1, 2021)
• Last Purdue Defensive Player of the Week: Jena Otec (March 29, 2021)
Setter of the Week
Gabby Blossom, Penn State
Sr. – S – St. Louis, Mo. – St. Joseph’s Academy – Major: Psychology
• Piloted the 20th-ranked Nittany Lions to a pair of Big Ten wins last week over Rutgers and No. 3 Ohio State, averaging 11.00 assists, 3.17 digs and 0.50 service aces per set as PSU hit .392 in its two victories
• Recorded a double-double in Sunday’s win over OSU with 36 assists and 13 digs as Penn State hit .380 for the match
• A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2019, 2020)
• Collects her fourth career Setter of the Week plaudit and first this season
• Last Penn State Setter of the Week: Gabby Blossom (March 15, 2021)
Freshman of the Week
Lindsay Krause, Nebraska
OH – Papillion, Neb. – Skutt Catholic – Major: Undeclared
• Paced the No. 12 Huskers to victories over Northwestern and Iowa on the opening weekend of conference play, averaging 3.86 kills, 1.00 digs and 0.43 blocks per set with a .500 hitting percentage
• Tied her season high with 15 kills on .500 hitting in Nebraska’s Big Ten opener at Northwestern on Sept. 22
• Added 12 more kills while again hitting .500 in the Sept. 25 victory at home over Iowa
• Earns her first career Freshman of the Week honor
• Last Nebraska Freshman of the Week: Lexi Rodriguez (Aug. 30, 2021)
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