BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Erin Jones, Jr., S/RS, St. John’s
Jones totaled 53 kills (3.53/set), 48 assists (3.20/set), 33 digs (2.20/set), and 14 total blocks (0.93/set) as the Red Storm went 3-1 on the week. En route to earning Penn State Invitation All-Tournament honors, the junior registered the second triple-double in program history with 13 kills, 26 assists, and 12 digs against Princeton (W, 3-2). She added a double-double the following day in a 3-1 victory over Duke, contributing 12 kills and 11 digs. Jones concluded the weekend with a team-best 14 kills plus nine assists, three digs, and three blocks against No. 3 Penn State (L, 0-3).
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Maddy Bilinovic, Sr., L, Creighton
Bilinovic averaged 4.31 digs per set as Creighton faced two top five teams in their four matches this week. The senior led the BIG EAST with 69 total digs, in addition to 13 assists, in matches against No. 3 Nebraska (L, 2-3), Northern Iowa (W, 3-0), Rice (W, 3-0), and No. 4 Louisville (L, 2-3). The Cardinal Classic All-Tournament team honoree enjoyed a career day against American Athletic Conference preseason favorite, Rice, with 27 digs in three sets.
BIG EAST Setter of the Week
Yadhira Anchante, Gr., S, Marquette
Anchante averaged 10.56 assists in a pair of Golden Eagle wins, highlighted by a Top-25 victory over No. 24 Dayton. The Hyatt Place Invitational Most Valuable Player also added 3.00 digs per set, five blocks, and a pair of service aces over the weekend. She registered a double-double in both matches, contributing 55 assists, 11 digs, two blocks, and an ace against Western Kentucky (3-2) followed by 40 assists, 16 digs, three blocks, three kills, and an ace against Dayton (W, 3-1).
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Dionna Mitchell, Fr., OH, GU
For the second consecutive week, Mitchell led all BIG EAST competitors with 4.55 kills per set on .304 hitting as Georgetown enjoyed a 3-0 week. Additionally, she totaled 40 digs and four service aces. She produced match-high kills in all three competitions, contributing 15 kills against IU Indy (W, 4-1), 13 kills versus Rider (W, 3-0), and 22 kills in a 3-1 win over crosstown rival George Washington.
Honor Roll
Emma Werkmeister, Jr., OH, UConn
Werkmeister totaled 43 kills (3.58/set), 16 digs (1.33/set), eight service aces, four blocks, and three assists as UConn went undefeated to start the season at 9-0 for the first time in program history. The outside hitter ensured the Huskies’ victory over Albany (W, 3-2) with a match-winning service ace in the fifth set (15-13).
Norah Sis, Sr., OH, Creighton
Sis averaged 3.94 kills, 1.94 digs, 0.56 blocks, and 0.44 aces per set as Creighton went 2-2 this week, taking on a pair of top five programs. In a tightly contested 3-2 loss to No. 5 Nebraska, the outside hitter contributed a season-high 24 kills on .288 hitting with 11 digs and four blocks.
Kendra Wait, Sr., S, Creighton
Wait averaged 9.56 assists, 2.69 digs, 0.69 kills, and 0.56 blocks per set with a double-double in three of four matches this week. The senior produced season-best days against top five competitors with 50 assists at No. 5 Nebraska and 13 digs at No. 4 Louisville. During the week, Wait surpassed both 4,000 career assists and 1,200 career digs.
Carsen Murray, Gr., MB, Marquette
Murray averaged 2.33 kills and 1.11 blocks per set on .452 hitting as Marquette enjoyed an undefeated week, highlighted by a 3-1 victory over No. 24 Dayton. In the showdown against the Flyers, the middle blocker posted seven blocks and seven kills to shut down the fifth most prolific offense in the country.
Kayla Grant, Sr., MB, Providence
Grant led the BIG EAST in hitting (.582) while ranking fifth in blocks (1.36/set) as Providence picked up three victories this week. Her strongest performance came in a 3-1 defeat of Columbia where the middle blocker registered a match-best 15 kills with four blocks.