Marquette’s Louis, Creighton’s Ballenger Earn #BIGEASTvb Weekly Honors
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Taylor Louis, Marquette, RS-So., OH (Skokie, Ill.)
Marquette sophomore Taylor Louis was named Most Valuable Player of the Bluegrass Battle over the weekend in Lexington, Ky., after helping the Golden Eagles to a perfect 3-0 record and just one set loss with wins over Saint Louis (3-0), Kentucky (3-1) and Virginia (3-0). Louis led the league in kills (5.10) and points (5.65) per set, while posting a .361 attack percentage. She also boasted 2.90 digs per set. Louis had a career-best 16 digs with 20 kills for her third double-double of the season against host-school Kentucky. Kentucky was receiving votes and was the fourth team out of the last AVCA Top 25 poll. Louis is currently third in the league in kills per set (3.97) and second in points per set (4.50).
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Megan Ballenger, Creighton, Fr., OH/RS (Ankeny, Iowa)
Against tough competitors in then-No. 4 Kansas, TCU (receiving votes in the AVCA poll) and Chattanooga, defending Southern Conference champion, Creighton’s Megan Ballenger helped the Bluejays to a 2-1 week with an all-around performance at outside hitter/right side blocker that included 2.27 points, 2.55 digs and 1.73 kills per set. The freshman held her own against No. 4 Kansas with 16 digs and two aces despite a five-set loss. Ballenger had five blocks for the week and averaged 0.27 aces per set. The freshman also boasted a .255 attack percentage.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Taryn Kloth, Creighton, So., OH/MB (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
In a 2-1 week for Creighton, Kloth was named to the Bluejay Invitational All-Tournament Team after posting an impressive stat line of 4.41 points, 3.91 kills, 1.8 digs, 0.45 blocks and 0.27 aces per set. Kloth also put together a .323 attack percentage. In a narrow 3-2 loss to then-No. 4 Kansas had 15 kills. Had a week-high 17 kills against defending Southern Conference Champion Chattanooga, hitting .400 in 30 swings.
Brittany Maxwell, DePaul, So., RS (Macomb, Mich.)
With 4.61 points and 3.93 kills per set, 55 kills total, Maxwell helped the Blue Demons to a 2-1 weekend. Maxwell had 19 kills against USF, handing the then-6-0 Bulls their first loss of the season. She had 21 kills in the win over Albany and 15 in the loss to Illinois-Chicago. The sophomore added seven blocks for the week with .376 attack percentage. For the week, Maxwell posted the match-high for the league in points – 24.0 in four sets vs. Albany
Michelle Cruz, Providence, Sr., DS (Midland Park, N.J.)
Another impressive week for the Friars (3-1) as Michelle Cruz was named the tournament MVP of the Friar Classic with her defensive performance that included 5.06 digs per set, 86 total digs. Cruz played in every set of all four of Providence's games this week, including five set matches against Brown and Quinnipiac. Cruz recorded 28 digs in a five-set win against Brown.
Abby Thelen, Seton Hall, So., OH (Fort Mitchell, Ky.)
Seton Hall advanced their winning streak to five matches as Thelen helped the Pirates to a 3-0 weekend at the Blue Raider Bash at Middle Tennessee State. There was no all-tournament team awarded, but Thelen powered the Pirates with 3.69 points, 3.12 kills and 1.88 digs per set. Her weekend was highlighted by career-high 18 kills to go along with seven digs, three blocks and a .289 attack percentage in Seton Hall’s four-set victory over Illinois State on Friday.
Amanda Pedersen-Henry, Villanova, So., MB (Murrieta, Calif.)
Pedersen-Henry landed on the all-tournament team after averaging 4.38 points, 3.50 kills and 1.12 blocks per set in a 3-0 weekend for the Wildcats. Villanova did not drop a set as the sophomore boasted a .368 attack percentage. She had a career-high 16 kills against Fairfield, including seven in the third and winning set.