Maryland, Northwestern and Purdue Capture Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

Player of the Week

Temi Thomas-Ailara, Northwestern

Sr. – OH – Glenwood, Ill. – Marian Catholic – Major: Biomedical Engineering

• Registered 4.75 kills, 1.67 digs and 0.67 blocks per set with a .311 hitting percentage last weekend, sparking Northwestern to three victories and the Chicago Cup title

• Recorded a double-double (19 kills, 12 digs) in the tournament opener Sept. 16 vs. DePaul and tallied a season-high 24 kills on .367 hitting in a five-set win over Loyola-Chicago on Sept. 17, helping NU to an 11-1 record, its best start to a season since 2012

• Twice chosen for Academic All-Big Ten recognition (2020, 2021)

• Captured her first career Player of the Week citation

• Last Northwestern Player of the Week: Hanna Lesiak (Sept. 5, 2022)

 

Defensive Player of the Week

Rainelle Jones, Maryland

Grad. – MB – Oxon Hill, Md. – Oxon Hill – Graduate Program: American Studies

• Tallied 2.20 blocks and 2.10 kills per set with a .356 hitting percentage in pacing Maryland to three wins and the Cavalier Classic championship last weekend in Charlottesville, Va.

• Earned a place on the all-tournament team with near double-doubles in the first two tournament contests, both on Sept. 16 (seven kills, nine blocks vs. Mercer; nine kills, seven blocks, .533 hitting percentage vs. East Carolina)

• Receives her fourth career Defensive Player of the Week honor and second this season

• Last Maryland Defensive Player of the Week: Rainelle Jones (Aug. 29, 2022)

 

Setter of the Week

Alexa Rousseau, Northwestern

Jr. – Bloomfield Hills, Mich. – Bloomfield Hills – Major: Communication Studies

• Averaged 10.33 assists, 2.58 digs and 1.42 kills per set with a .306 hitting percentage, a triple-double and a double-double in leading Northwestern to three wins and the Chicago Cup title last weekend

• Logged a career-high 11 kills, 11 digs and 44 assists in the tournament opener against DePaul on Sept. 16

• Added a season-high 46 assists and 11 digs in a five-set win at Loyola-Chicago on Sept. 17, helping the Wildcats improve to 11-1 this year, their best start to a season since 2012

• Received Academic-All-Big Ten plaudits last year

• Secures her first career Setter of the Week selection

• Last Northwestern Setter of the Week: Caleigh Ryan (Sept. 23, 2013)

 

Freshman of the…