Seton Hall’s Thelen Named BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Week; Villanova’s Decker Earns Freshman Honors
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Abby Thelen, Seton Hall, So., OH (Mitchell, Ky.)
Sophomore Abby Thelen averaged a league high 6.29 points and 5.86 kills per set in a 1-1 road week for the Seton Hall Pirates. The outside hitter matched her career high with 20 kills to go with eight digs and three blocks in Friday’s four-set loss at Xavier. She followed that performance with a career-high 21 kills, in only three sets, in a victory at Butler. Thelen averaged a .262 attack percentage. Seton Hall swept Butler, but lost a four-set match to Xavier. In both matches, Thelen reached the 20-kill mark.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Emma Decker, Villanova, Fr., Setter (LaGrange, Ill.)
Freshman setter Emma Decker averaged 10.00 assists per set in a four-set win over Georgetown, keeping the Wildcats in fourth place in the standings. Decker also averaged 2.0 kills per set on .700 hitting. On defense, the freshman led Villanova in blocks with five, while adding seven digs to the match.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Anna Logan, Butler, So., OH (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Again the focal point of the Bulldogs’ offense, Logan averaged 5.58 points, 4.83 kills, 2.50 digs and 1.17 blocks per set – doing all she could do for Butler in a 1-1 week with a win over St. John’s and a loss to Seton Hall.
Jaali Winters, Creighton, So., OH (Ankeny, Iowa)
Winters helped the Bluejays mark their 10th BIG EAST win as she averaged 5.00 points, 4.57 kills and 3.0 digs per set. Against second-place Marquette, Winters had a season-high 22 kills while adding 15 digs for career double-double No. 24.
Meghan Niemann, Marquette, RS-Sr., MH (Jackson, Wis.)
Averaged 2.93 points, 1.86 kills, 1.43 blocks in a 1-1 weekend that included a three-set sweep of Providence and a four-set loss to Creighton. Niemann broke Marquette’s all-time blocks record with seven against Creighton.
Claire Crutchfield, Villanova, Sr., OH (Falls Church, Va.)
Led all Villanova hitters with 18 kills on .359 hitting in the Wildcats’ lone match, a win over travel-partner Georgetown. Crutchfield
Abbey Bessler, Xavier, Sr., OH (Hebron, Ky.)
Helped the Musketeers to a 2-0 week as Bessler averaged 4.50 kills and 1.75 digs per set with a .310 attack percentage. Bessler had 18 kills in both wins over St. John’s and Seton Hall.