Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin Capture Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards
Wolverines’ Mruzik, Huskers’ Rodriguez, Buckeyes’ Podraza and Badgers’ Rettke are conference’s final weekly honorees for 2021 season
Player of the Week
Jess Mruzik, Michigan
So. – OH – Livonia, Mich. – Farmington Hills Mercy – Major: Applied Exercise Science
• Averaged 4.38 kills and 2.63 digs per set with a .368 hitting percentage last week as Michigan closed out the regular season with a pair of wins and earned a berth in this year’s NCAA Tournament
• Posted a double-double (20 kills, 15 digs) in the Wolverines’ victory over No. 23 Illinois on Nov. 24
• Added 15 kills, six digs and three blocks in the regular-season finale vs. Northwestern on Nov. 26
• Earns her first career Player of the Week honor
• Last Michigan Player of the Week: May Pertofsky (March 15, 2021)
Defensive Player of the Week
Dana Rettke, Wisconsin
Grad. – MB – Riverside, Ill. – Riverside-Brookfield – Graduate Major: Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis
• Registered 3.29 kills and 2.14 blocks per set with a .419 hitting percentage to help Wisconsin clinch its third consecutive Big Ten title and a top-four national seed for the NCAA Tournament
• Recorded match highs of 18 kills and seven blocks with a .484 hitting percentage in a Nov. 26 win over Nebraska that earned the Badgers a share of the conference championship
• Contributed eight blocks and five kills in Nov. 27 victory over Indiana that secured the outright Big Ten title for Wisconsin
• Named an Academic All-Big Ten selection the past three years (2018, 2019, 2020)
• Receives her second career Defensive Player of the Week honor (first since Nov. 26, 2018) to go along with 11 career Player of the Week awards (two this season)
• Last Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week: Lauren Barnes (Oct. 4, 2021)
Setter of the Week
Mac Podraza, Ohio State
Jr. – Sunbury, Ohio – Big Walnut – Major: Communication
• Tallied 14.50 assists and 1.83 digs per set last week in leading the Buckeyes to sweeps at Rutgers and Maryland to close out the regular season and lock up a top-16 seed for the NCAA Tournament
• Recorded 47 assists and five digs at RU, along with 40 assists and six digs at Maryland
• Received Academic All-Big Ten accolades in 2020
• Secures her seventh career Setter of the Week selection, and third this season
• Last Ohio State Setter of the Week: Mac Podraza (Nov. 1, 2021)
Freshman of the Week
Lexi Rodriguez, Nebraska
L – Sterling, Ill. – Sterling – Major: Undeclared
• Averaged 5.13 digs per set last week as the Huskers split their final two regular-season matches at No. 5 Wisconsin (loss) and No. 6 Purdue (win) and secured a top-16 seed for the NCAA Tournament
• Tied her career high with 28 digs in a four-set win at Purdue on Nov. 27
• Garners her fourth career Freshman of the Week award to go along with two Defensive Player of the Week citations this season
• Last Nebraska Freshman of the Week: Lexi Rodriguez (Oct. 25, 2021)
2021 Big Ten Players of the Week
Aug. 30
P: Dana Rettke, Grad., WIS
D: Hannah Grant, So., MICH
S: Sydney Hilley, Grad., WIS
F: Lexi Rodriguez, NEB
F: Arica Davis, OSU
Sept. 6
P: Jonni Parker, Sr., PSU
D: Kayla Caffey, Sr., NEB
S: Hayley Bush, Grad., PUR
F: Milan Gomillion, MD
F: Arica Davis, OSU
Sept. 13
P: Stephanie Samedy, Grad., MINN
D: CC McGraw, Grad., MINN
S: Sydney Hilley, Grad., WIS
F: Milan Gomillion, MD
Sept. 20
P: Jenna Wenaas, So., MINN
D: Kylie Murr, Jr., OSU
S: Diana Brown, Jr., ILL
F: Sarah Franklin, MSU
F: Julia Orzoł, WIS
Sept. 27
P: Stephanie Samedy, Grad., MINN
D: Rainelle Jones, Sr., MD
D: Jael Johnson, Sr., PUR
S: Gabby Blossom, Sr., PSU
F: Lindsay Krause, NEB
Oct. 4
P: Julia Orzoł, Fr., WIS
D: Lauren Barnes, Grad., WIS
S: Sydney Hilley, Grad, WIS
F: Julia Orzoł, WIS
Oct. 11
P: Madi Kubik, Jr., NEB
P: Emily Londot, So., OSU
D: Rainelle Jones, Sr., MD
D: Stephanie Samedy, Grad., MINN
S: Nicklin Hames, Sr., NEB
F: Lexi Rodriguez, NEB
Oct. 18
P: Madi Kubik, Jr., NEB
D: Jena Otec, Grad., PUR
S: Mac Podraza, Jr., OSU
S: Gabby Blossom, Sr., PSU
F: Arica Davis, OSU
Oct. 25
P: Dana Rettke, Grad., WIS
D: Lexi Rodriguez, Fr., NEB
S: Nicklin Hames, Sr., NEB
S: Sydney Hilley, Grad., WIS
F: Lexi Rodriguez, NEB
Nov. 1
P: Stephanie Samedy, Grad., MINN
D: Raven Colvin, Fr., PUR
S: Mac Podraza, Jr., OSU
S: Hayley Bush, Grad., PUR
F: Raven Colvin, PUR
Nov. 8
P: Stephanie Samedy, Grad., MINN
D: Jenna Hampton, Sr., PSU
S: Gabby Blossom, Sr., PSU
F: Julia Bishop, MSU
Nov. 15
P: Caitlyn Newton, Grad., PUR
D: Lexi Rodriguez, Fr., NEB
S: Gabby Blossom, Sr., PSU
F: Raven Colvin, PUR
Nov. 22
P: Stephanie Samedy, Grad., MINN
D: Jena Otec, Grad., PUR
S: Sydney Hilley, Grad, WIS
F: Julia Orzoł, WIS
Nov. 29
P: Jess Mruzik, So., MICH
D: Dana Rettke, Grad., WIS
S: Mac Podraza, Jr., OSU
F: Lexi Rodriguez, NEB
Recent Comments