East Division
Offensive Player of the Week
Jacqueline Askin, Bowling Green, Senior, Outside Hitter
Bowling Green senior outside hitter Jacqueline Askin put together two strong performances against Ball State this past week, helping the Falcons capture two 3-0 wins. Askin began the series with a season-high 12 kills on Thursday night (Feb. 11), however that only stood for about 24 hours as she landed 13 kills on Friday (Feb. 12). Askin was also able to maintain a .312 hitting percentage the first night and improved to .343 the second night. In addition to her kills, she also registered four block assists on Thursday followed by two on Friday.
Defensive Player of the Week
Sam Steele, Ohio, Freshman, Defensive Specialist/Libero
Freshman defensive specialist/libero Sam Steele (Omaha, Neb.) helped power the Ohio volleyball team (4-2, 4-2 MAC) to a weekend sweep of Buffalo last week in a pair of matches at the Convocation Center. Steele piled up a team-high 42 digs (7.00 per set) and committed just one reception error in 37 attempts. Steele compiled a match-high 24 digs as Ohio earned a 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-23) sweep of Buffalo last Thursday (February 11). She followed that performance up by totaling a match-high 18 digs as the Bobcats swept the Bulls again, 3-0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-20), on Friday (February 12).
Setter of the Week
Hanna Laube, Bowling Green, Junior Setter
Bowling Green junior Hanna Laube paced the Falcons in assists in a series sweep over Ball State, consisting of two 3-0 victories. In the first match, Laube logged 42 assists being the second time this season she has surpassed the 40 mark in a three-set match and averaging 14 assists per set. As for the second match, Laube registered another 37 assists, once again averaging double-digit sets for the night.
West Division
Offensive Player of the Week
Franki Strefling, Eastern Michigan, Senior, Outside Hitter
Eastern Michigan split with Mid-American Conference West Division foe Northern Illinois last week. Senior Franki Strefling led the Eagles offensively averaging 5.25 kills per set (42) with a .327 hitting percentage (42-9-101) in eight sets. The outside hitter also tallied 5.75 points per set and 5.38 digs per set against the Huskies. In the series opener at NIU, Feb. 11, the Niles, Mich. native paced the Eagles with a career-high 23 kills and a .400 hitting percentage (23-3-50) in a 3-1 vicotry. Strefling’s 23 kills tied for fourth in program history for four sets in the modern statistical era (2008-present). The senior also posted 26 digs against the Huskies, and she surpassed 1,000 career digs to become the 17th EMU volleyball player to accomplish this feat. The following day, the outside hitter continued her momentum by recording 19 attacks and 17 digs in a 3-1 loss to NIU. Strefling leads the MAC in both kills per set (4.67) and points per set (4.93).
Defensive Player of the Week
Kaley Smith, Western Michigan, Senior, Libero/Defensive Specialist
Senior libero/defensive specialist Kaley Smith led the Broncos to a pair of four-set victories over in-state rival Central Michigan by leading the charge defensively with 50 digs, averaging 6.25 per set. Smith registered over 20 digs in both matches, marking the third straight match she has went over 20 digs and the fourth match overall this season. Overall at 168 digs, averaging 5.79 per set, Smith ranks 3rd in the MAC in digs per set and 2nd in total digs. On Thursday against CMU, Smith led the way with 23 digs to go along with four assists. Smith on Friday registered 27 assists while earning two assists and one service ace.
Setter of the Week
Logan Case, Western Michigan, Freshman, Setter
Freshman setting and reigning MAC West Setter of the Week Logan Case had another stellar week for the Broncos, posting a staggering 103 assists, averaging 12.88 per set as WMU grabbed a pair of four-set victories over Central Michigan. Case recorded 103 assists in two matches while also collecting 15 digs, averaging 1.88 per set and earning a .833 attack percentage with five kills. After the week, Case has now posted three straight matches of over 50 assists. On Thursday against CMU, Case registered 52 assists to go along with seven digs in a four-set victory over CMU. Case followed up her performance with a 51 assist outing to go along with four kills, one block and eight digs on Friday. Overall, Case leads the Broncos with 328 assists this season, averaging 11.31 per set. Cases’ 328 total assists leads the Mid-American Conference while her 11.31 assists per set ranks fourth in the MAC.
