BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Rachele Rastelli, St. John’s, Sr., RS (Parma, Italy)
St. John’s senior Rachele Rastelli notches her second BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week nod of the season. The right side hitter from Parma, Italy averaged a league-best 4.88 kills per set as the Red Storm split its two weekend matches. Rastelli led the charge for St. John’s in an upset win over No. 16 Creighton, totaling 22 kills to go along with 10 digs, five blocks and three service aces. She would follow that up with 17 more kills on Saturday against Providence. Rastelli is the lone BIG EAST player to have a kills per set average above 4.00 this season, and currently sits in a tie for fourth place in the nation with 280 total kills.
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Carsen Murray, Marquette, R-Fr., MB (Lee’s Summit, Mo.)
Marquette’s Carsen Murray picks up her first BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honor after a stellar all-around week. The redshirt freshman ranked third among BIG EAST players with 1.43 blocks per set this past weekend, and was second in the conference with a .448 hitting percentage. Murray began the weekend, one that saw the Golden Eagles go 2-0, with a nine-kill, four-block effort to defeat UConn. She would follow that up on Sunday with seven kills and six blocks in a three set win over DePaul.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Shaliyah Rhoden, Providence, Fr., OH (Rowlett, Texas)
Providence freshman Shaliyah Rhoden was second in the BIG EAST in kills per set this weekend as she led the Friars to a 1-1 weekend. The Rowlett, Texas native got the weekend started in a big way, finishing with 23 kills and seven digs in a close five-set loss at Seton Hall. Providence would bounce back with a win the next day at St. John’s, led by Rhoden’s 18-kill effort. The freshman ranks fifth in the BIG EAST with 4.00 kills per set through the first two weekends of conference play.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Marissa McKelvey, Butler, So., S (Grapevine, Texas)
Marissa McKelvey notched a pair of double-doubles en route to Butler’s 1-1 weekend. She totaled a season-high 47 assists to go with 13 digs and four blocks in a four-set win over Georgetown, followed by a 29-assist, 14-dig effort against Villanova.
Jessica Cusi, Georgetown, Sr., L (Pacifica, Calif.)
Cusi led the BIG EAST with 6.22 digs per set and 0.89 service aces per set this past weekend. The senior totaled 26 digs on Friday against Butler before wrapping up the weekend with 30 digs against Xavier.
Allison Barber, Providence, Gr., S (Woodbury, Minn.)
Allison Barber had a huge night on Friday against Seton Hall, finishing with 60 assists and 23 digs in a five-set defeat. The 60 assists are the most by a BIG EAST player this season. Barber would follow that up with 42 assists, nine digs and five aces in a win over St. John’s.
Taylor Jakubowski, Seton Hall, So., S (Lake in the Hills, Ill.)
Taylor Jakubowski made an impact offensively and defensively for the Pirates this past weekend. She secured a double-double on Friday against Providence, finishing with 27 assists and 21 digs in the win. She would tally 12 assists and 10 digs the next day against Creighton for her second double-double of the weekend.
Carrigan O’Reilly, Xavier, Jr., S/RS (Westerville, Ohio)
Carrigan O’Reilly averaged 9.62 assists per set as the Musketeers went 2-0 on the weekend. The junior tallied 31 assists and five kills against Villanova on Friday, followed by a 46-assist, six-dig, eight-kill effort to beat Georgetown in five sets.