UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two members of the No. 1 Penn State women’s volleyball team (29-2, 19-1 Big Ten) nabbed Big Ten weekly awards, conference officials announced Monday (Nov. 26). Junior Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.) was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, while freshman Megan Courtney (Dayton, Ohio) was honored as the conference Co-Freshman of the Week. She shares the honor with Illinois’ Jocelynn Birks.
Penn State has accumulated 12 weekly awards in 2012. This is the third honor of the season for Slay and the seventh weekly award of her career. It is the first honor of Courtney’s career. The duo helped Penn State close out the regular season with a 3-0 sweep of Ohio State on Nov. 21 and a 3-0 win against Michigan State on Nov. 24.
Slay led the Nittany Lions with 13 blocks, averaging 2.17 blocks per set for the week. She also totaled 15 kills (2.50 kills per set) on .464 hitting. Against Ohio State, Slay had seven kills on .462 hitting and tied for first on the team with five blocks. Against the Spartans, Slay had eight kills with a .467 hitting percentage and a match-high eight total blocks.
Courtney totaled 12 kills for the week and was second on the team in blocks with 11, averaging 1.83 blocks per set. She also tallied seven digs, an ace and three assists. Versus Ohio State, Courtney tied with Slay in blocks with five, including two solo, and also recorded six digs. Against Michigan State, she led the team with nine kills on .529 hitting and posted six total blocks.
Penn State earned the No. 1 seed to the NCAA tournament and will host the First and Second Rounds on Nov. 30-Dec. 1. The Nittany Lions face Binghamton on Friday, at 7:30 p.m. in Rec Hall. Yale and Bowling Green play in the earlier match at 5 p.m. The winners of both matches will meet Saturday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in Rec Hall.
ALL SESSION tickets for the First and Second rounds MUST be purchased at the Bryce Jordan Center Ticket Office or by calling 1-800-NITTANY beginning on Monday, Nov. 26 at 10 a.m. up until Friday, Nov. 30 at Noon. All session tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for youth and students and $8 for groups (20 or more). SINGLE SESSION tickets WILL ONLY be available at Rec Hall on Friday and Saturday and are $8 for adults, $6 for youth and students and $5 for groups.
For more information on the Penn State women’s volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women’s volleyball 2012 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets.
The Penn State women’s volleyball team is on Twitter and Facebook. Follow us @PennStateVBALL and at www.facebook.com/pennstatewomensvolleyball.
