Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Berwanger, Brown named MVC Volleyball Athletes of the Week
08/31/2009 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 31, 2009
www.SIUSalukis.com
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Southern Illinois volleyball players Jennifer Berwanger and Rachael Brown have been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player and Freshman of the Week the league announced Monday.
MVC Player of the Week Berwanger, a junior outside hitter from Lake Zurich, Ill., earned all-tournament team honors at the NIU Invitational last weekend, helping SIU start the season 4-0, posting two double-doubles and leading the team in kills in all four matches.
She averaged 4.29 kills, 3.36 digs and 0.64 service aces per set, hitting .248 over the weekend. She recorded 14 kills and five digs in the season-opening sweep of Stephen F. Austin, then put up 17 kills and a match-high 20 digs for her 26th career double-double in a win against Northern Illinois. On Saturday, she posted 11 kills, five digs and three service aces in a sweep of Illinois-Chicago, then went on to post another double-double in a four-set victory over Western Illinois with 18 kills, 17 digs and two service aces.
Brown, a rookie setter from Brownsburg, Ind., earned all-tournament team honors at the NIU Invitational, her first collegiate tournament. The freshman averaged 10.21 assists, 1.50 digs and 0.43 blocks per set in four matches to earn MVC Freshman of the Week honors.
She recorded 23 assists and four digs against Stephen F. Austin and 44 assists, three digs and one solo and three block assists in a win over Northern Illinois. On Saturday, she recorded her first double-double, a 30 assist, 10 dig effort against Illinois-Chicago, before wrapping up the tournament with a career-best 46 assist effort against Western Illinois.
Ellie Blankenship from Northern Iowa was named the defensive player of the week.
Berwanger is the first Saluki to be honored for player of the week honors since Kristie Kemner received the award in October of 2002.
