BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Mary Grace Goyena, Georgetown, So., OH
In a 2-1 weekend for the Hoyas, Goyena led the BIG EAST in kills (4.67 per set) and points (5.33 per set), sparking Georgetown to victories over Binghamton and George Washington. In a five-set win over the Bearcats, Goyena recorded a career-high 29 kills to go along with eight digs and four blocks to lead the Hoyas to their first win of the year. The 29 kills are the most in the BIG EAST this season and the most by a BIG EAST student-athlete since St. John’s Rachele Rastelli tallied 35 at Georgetown on Oct. 29, 2021. Goyena’s points totals each ranked in the top five for three-, four- and five-set match totals last week, including 15 over three sets against GWU, 18 in four sets against Rider and 31, a BIG EAST weekly high, in five sets against Binghamton.
 
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Kendra Wait, Creighton, So., S
Wait had a double-double in all three Bluejay matches last week as she averaged 10.87 assists, 4.40 digs, 0.80 blocks and 0.47 kills per set in a 2-1 week. Wait opened her week with 45 assists, 18 digs and an ace in a 3-2 loss to No. 2 Nebraska. It was the first two sets lost by the Cornhuskers all season, and CU hit .202 against an NU team that led the team in defensive hitting percentage. In Friday’s 3-2 win over a 7-1 Florida State team, Wait’s career highs of 59 assists and 36 digs made her the first Bluejay in history with at least 50 assists and 30 digs in the same match.  The 36 digs were two shy of CU’s school-record and tie the most by any player in the BIG EAST this season. In Saturday’s 3-2 win vs. Omaha, Wait had 58 digs, 12 digs and six blocks as Creighton hit .293. Behind the setting efforts of Wait, Creighton posted back-to-back matches with 70 or more kills for the first time since November of 2006 when sets were played to 30 points. Wait’s single-match assists totals were three of the top-five performances in the BIG EAST last week.
 
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Taylor Underwood, DePaul, Fr., RS
In a 3-0 week for the Blue Demons, Underwood record double-digit kills in all three victories to average 3.33 per set while attacking at a .326 mark. She posted a career-best 16 kills with a .353 clip in four-set win over Virginia Tech to start off the weekend, before going for 14 kills with a .387 clip against Eastern Michigan. She concluded the weekend with 10 kills against Saint Louis to go along with four blocks. Underwood finished with 44.0 points over the three-match weekend, while her attack percentages against Eastern Michigan and Virginia Tech were two of the highest marks in the BIG EAST last week.
 
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Mariah Grunze, Butler, So., OH - finished third in the BIG EAST in kills (4.20) and second in points (4.85) in a 2-1 weekend; two of the top scoring performances of the weekend with 19.0 points against Eastern Washington and 16.5 against Southern Utah
Norah Sis, Creighton, So., OH – finished second in the league in kills (4.27) and third in points (4.53) in a 2-1 week; three straight double-doubles with a league-high total of 64 kills over 15 sets
Carsen Murray, Marquette, Jr., MB - averaged 1.45 blocks per set in a 3-0 week, hitting .350 in wins over Loyola Chicago, LSU and Green Bay; blocks average ranked third in the BIG EAST last week
Rachele Rastelli, St. John’s, Grad., RS – named to the Jack Kaiser Classic All-Tournament Team and moved into third place on the program’s all-time kills list (1,541) with 56 last week; averaged 3.50 kills and 4.38 points in a 3-1 stretch
Mackenzie Taylor, Providence, Grad., DS – led the BIG EAST in service aces last week with 10 over 10 sets for a 1.00 average, while also finishing third in digs at 5.10 per set; four aces in wins over Saint Peter’s and NJIT and double-digit digs in all three victories on the week