Bessler, Winters Earn BIG EAST Volleyball Weekly Honors
NEW YORK – Xavier junior outside hitter Abbey Bessler earns BIG EAST Player of the Week honors, while Creighton rookie Jaali Winters earns her second BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolade. Both Xavier and Creighton went undefeated in BIG EAST play in the opening week.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Abbey Bessler, Xavier, Jr., OH, Hebron, Ky. – Bessler led the league with a 5.82 points per set average and 5.55 kills per set en route to a double-double in all three matches. Bessler helped the Musketeers to a 3-0 start in BIG EAST play. The junior outside hitter added 3.91 digs per set, totaling 43 for the week, while adding four blocks and a service ace. Against Marquette on Sept. 23 she posted her 1,000th kill with a match-high 16 kills helping Xavier to its first BIG EAST win this season. On Friday against Providence Bessler added 12 kills and 21 digs. She then closed out her weekend with a match-high and school record 33 kills in a five-set win over St. John’s as the Musketeers came back from a 2-0 deficit for the win. Her 33 kills are the most in a match this season by any BIG EAST player.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Jaali Winters, Creighton, Fr., OH, Ankeny, Iowa. – Jaali Winters opened her BIG EAST career with a pair of double-doubles in 3-1 victories over Seton Hall and Villanova. She led the Bluejays with 36 kills, 37 points, 4.50 kills per set, 4.69 points per set and a 3.21 hitting percentage. In Friday’s win over Seton Hall, the freshman had 13 kills and 11 digs on .300 hitting. ON Sunday, Winters had 23 kills and 11 digs while hitting .333 in a victory over Villanova. She had 10 kills in the first set and five more in each the third and fourth set wins, including the set point clincher in both.
BIG EAST Volleyball Weekly Honor Roll
Mary Striedl, Butler, Sr., OH, Lake Forest, Ill. – In a 2-1 week for Butler, recorded a team-high 52 kills, 4.00 per set to go along with 4.38 points per set and hit .416 over three matches…against DePaul she posted a career-high 27 kills to go along with 11 digs and a .511 attack percentage.
Lauren Smith, Creighton, Jr., MB, Lincoln, Neb. – Averaged 3.25 kills, 4.19 points and 1.62 blocks per set while hitting .320 in two wins for Creighton…opened the weekend with a match-high 14 kills and eight blocks and finished with 12 kills, five blocks and .409 hiting.
Joy Miley, Marquette, Jr., MB, Downey, Calif. – Led Marquette with 21 kills for the week and 3.50 kills per set while averaging 3.67 points per set in a 1-1 week for the Golden Eagles.
Karin Palgutova, St. John’s, Sr., OH, Bratislava, Slovakia – Averaged 5.05 points and 4.50 kills per set as the Red Storm went 1-1… had a double-double against Butler in five sets with 26 kills, 13 digs and five blocks.
Danielle Schroeder, Seton Hall, Jr., OH, Chicago, Ill. – Averaged 3.83 points per set with 2.89 kills per set as she helped Seton Hall to a 1-1 week adding four aces. Had 11 kills to go along with six digs in a four-set loss at Creighton, then led the Pirates with a 15-kill outburst on just one attack error for a .400 attack performance at Georgetown…. Surpassed 500 kills for her career.