BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Natalie Ring, Sr., OH, Marquette
Ring led the BIG EAST with 4.57 kills per set, pacing the Golden Eagles to a 2-0 mark in the final weekend of the regular season. The senior also contributed 13 digs, three blocks, and two aces while boasting a perfect serve-receive (18-for-18). Her 5.07 points per set ranked second in the league. Ring excelled in Marquette’s 3-1 victory over Xavier, notching a match-high 21 kills.
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Hattie Bray, Gr., MB, Marquette
Bray anchored Marquette’s defense, averaging a league-leading 1.86 blocks per set in victories over Xavier (3-1) and Butler (3-0), while contributing 3.29 kills per set on .513 hitting. Versus the Bulldogs, Bray posted eight blocks with 12 kills on .426 hitting. Against the Musketeers, the graduate student recorded five blocks with 10 kills on .500 hitting.
BIG EAST Setter of the Week
Annalea Maeder, RS-Sr., S, Creighton
Maeder once again led the BIG EAST, averaging 10.33 assists per set, as Creighton secured its 12th straight BIG EAST regular-season title and set the league record for most consecutive regular season wins (47). In a sweep of St. John’s, the senior dished out 37 assists with five digs, three kills, and two blocks. In a sweep of Seton Hall, Maeder registered 25 assists, five aces, and four kills. Her efforts against the Pirates helped Creighton hit a program-record .551.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Nora Wurtz, RS-Fr., MB, Creighton
Wurtz averaged 2.17 kills, 1.67 blocks, 0.50 aces, and 0.50 digs per set while hitting a conference-best .722 as Creighton swept the final two matches of the regular season. In Friday’s victory over St. John’s, the rookie registered six kills and five blocks while hitting .667. In Saturday’s win over Seton Hall, Wurtz notched a career-high seven kills on .778 hitting with five blocks.
Honor Roll
Ava Martin, Sr., OH, Creighton
Martin averaged 4.00 kills, 0.83 digs, 0.50 blocks, and 0.50 aces per set while hitting .477 as Creighton secured its 12th consecutive regular season title and the top seed at next weekend’s BIG EAST Championship.
Abby Cahill, So., L, DePaul
Cahill led the league with 4.88 digs per set over a 1-1 weekend. She logged a match-best 22 digs in the Blue Demon’s 3-1 victory over Butler to close the regular season.
Taylor Lewis, So, OPP, Villanova
Lewis averaged 3.50 kills per set on .436 hitting as Villanova defeated UConn (3-2) and Providence (3-0) to punch its ticket to the BIG EAST Championship. In the five-set victory over UConn, the sophomore contributed a career-best 17 kills on .406 hitting.
Reagan McGivern, Fr., MB, Villanova
McGivern hit .519 while posting 15 kills and a team-best 12 blocks as the Wildcats secured a pair of wins. In Friday’s essential victory over UConn, the rookie registered a match-high eight blocks and eight kills on .571 hitting.
Emma Grace, RS-Sr., OH Xavier
Grace averaged a league-leading 5.13 points per frame behind 4.38 kills, 3.38 digs, and 0.38 aces per set this weekend. The redshirt senior contributed a match-best 20 kills as the BIG EAST tournament second seed defeated DePaul, 3-1.