Around The Big Ten – October 9

More on this week’s edition of “Big Ten Whip Around” — start listening to SiriusXM Big Ten Radio (Ch. 372) on the SiriusXM app now.

Hoosiers’ Rourke, Huskers’ Buschini, Buckeyes’ Egbuka, Ducks’ Burch, Badgers’ Kekahuna garner accolades

VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Player of the Week
Jess Mruzik, Penn State
Gr. – OH– Livonia, Mich. – Master’s: Business Administration

• Hit .329 while averaging 4.71 kills and 3.14 digs per set in No. 3 Penn State’s wins over Maryland and No. 11 Oregon at Rec Hall

• Opened the week hitting .313 with 17 kills, three aces and 14 digs for a double-double in a 3-1 win over Maryland

• Followed that outing hitting .353 with 16 kills, eight digs and three solo blocks in a sweep over Oregon

• The win over the Ducks was the Nittany Lions’ fifth win this season over a team ranked in the top 15 at match time
• Last Penn State Player of the Week: Jess Mruzik (Sept. 30, 2024)

Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Rebekah Allick, Nebraska
Jr. – MB – Lincoln, Neb. – Major: Business Management

• Averaged 2.00 blocks per set to go along with 2.17 kills per set on .455 hitting in the Huskers’ sweeps of Illinois and Iowa

• At Illinois, Allick posted a team-best nine blocks and put down four kills on .300 hitting. Allick took over in the third and final set, as she was involved in scoring Nebraska’s final seven points (four blocks, three kills)

• Against Iowa on Sunday, Allick posted three blocks with nine kills and hit .583 as Nebraska limited the Hawkeyes to .155 hitting
• Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Lexi Rodriguez (Sept. 30, 2024)

Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Ali Hornung, Purdue
Sr. – L – New Albany, Ind. – Major: Hospitality & Tourism Management

• Led the Big Ten with 5.71 digs/set as Purdue also led the league with 19.57 digs/set last week

• Posted 22 digs in a 3-0 win over Michigan State, which included 10 in the opening set

• Led the Boilermakers to a program-record of 71 digs in a three-set match during the current 25-point rally scoring era, limiting the Spartan attack to a .104 hitting percentage

• Tallied 18 digs (4.50/set) in a 3-1 road win over Northwestern who hit .183 in the match
• Last Purdue Defensive Player of the Week: Raven Colvin (Sept. 16, 2024)

Setter of the Week
Morgan Burke, Michigan
So. – Omaha, Neb. – Major: Undeclared

• Averaged 10.30 assists per set in 10 sets of play, guiding Michigan (13-2, 3-1) to a 1-1 week with a 3-2 road win over RV UCLA and a narrow 2-3 loss at No. 21 USC

• Totaled 103 assists, surpassing 50 assists in each match, and is current on a three-game streak of 50 or more assists

• Cued the Wolverines’ offense to a .224 average hitting percentage over the two matches including a .257 clip at No. 21 USC

• Added 18 digs across the two matches, also contributed a kill, three aces and three blocks
• Last Michigan Setter of the Week: MacKenzi Welsh (Nov. 26, 2018)

Freshman of the Week
Charlie Fuerbringer, Wisconsin
S – Hermosa Beach, Calif. – Major: Real Estate

• Helped the Badgers to a 2-0 week with sweeps over Rutgers and No. 25 Washington

• Totaled 68 assists for an average of 11.33 assists per set, guiding the Wisconsin offense to a .370 hitting percentage vs. Rutgers and a .486 hitting percentage vs. Washington

• Also chipped in with 0.83 kills/set, 1.00 digs/set and 0.67 blocks/set, including four blocks vs. the Huskies

• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Gülce Güçtekin (Sept. 12, 2022)

WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player of the Week
Maile Hayes, USC
Sr. – F – The Woodlands, Texas – Major: Project Management

• Scored two goals on her Senior Day to lead USC to a 2-0 win over Oregon

• Recorded her first multi-goal game of the season and fourth of her career

• Leads the Trojans with six goals on the year, with three of her six goals being game winners

• Hayes is the first USC player to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors

Defensive Player of the Week
Jayden Perry, UCLA
Sr. – D – Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. – Major: Sociology

• Led the Bruin defense to a 1-0 shutout win over Washington, commanding the backline to preserve the clean sheet

• Has helped lead UCLA to 10 shutouts in 14 games this season

• The Bruins’ team goals against average of 0.357 ranks fourth-best in the nation and their shutout percentage of 0.714 ranks first in the Big Ten and sixth in the nation
• Last UCLA Defensive Player of the Week: Quincy McMahon (Oct. 1, 2024)

Goalkeeper of the Week
Ryan Campbell, UCLA
Gr.  – GK – Laguna Beach, Calif. – Major: Business and Management of Entertainment

• Picked up her nation-leading 10^th shutout of the season on Saturday, blanking Washington, 1-0

• Recorded two saves in the game while withstanding a season-high 15 shots

• Campbell, who has played in every minute of every game for the Bruins, is tied for the Big Ten lead with 10 victories, and she also ranks fifth in the nation in goals against average with 0.357

• Campbell’s 10 shutouts rank eighth all-time at UCLA in single season
• Campbell is the first UCLA player to earn Goalkeeper of the Week honors

Freshman of the Week
Shaela Bradley, Rutgers
MF – La Center, Wash. – Major: Undeclared

• Scored the equalizing goal unassisted to help Rutgers earn a 1-1 draw at No. 19 Penn State on Friday

• The goal gave her nine points on the season (3g, 3a)

• Played 83 minutes at Penn State, helping Rutgers earn its second consecutive point on the road against a ranked opponent

• Last Rutgers Freshman of the Week: Gabriela Gil (Oct. 1, 2024)

MEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player of the Week
David Wrona, Ohio State
Grad. – M – Hoover, Ala. – Gahanna Lincoln – Major: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Paired three goals, including both game-winners, and two assists as No. 2 Ohio State scored two wins
• Paired two goals and two assists in a 6-3 win at Michigan
• Garners his first Offensive Player of the Week award
• Last Ohio State State Offensive Player of the Week: Luciano Pechota (Sept. 24, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Siggi Magnusson, Ohio State
Sr. – D – Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland – Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering

• Anchored a defensive effort that led the No. 2 Buckeyes to a pair of wins last week
• Earns his first Defensive Player of the Week award
• Last Ohio State Defensive Player of the Week: Nick McHenry (Sept. 24, 2024)

Goalkeeper of the Week 
Max Trejo, Ohio State
R-Jr. – Mexico City, Mexico – Shawnee Misson East (Kan.) – Major: Sports Industry

• Surrendered one goal with six saves in 171 minutes of action for No. 2 Ohio State
• Notched his third clean sheet of the season with three saves in a win over Washington
• Earns his second Goalkeeper of the Week award this season
• Last Ohio State Goaltender of the Week Award: Max Trejo (Sept. 17, 2024)

Freshman of the Week 
Artem Vovk, UCLA
Fr. – F – Rivne, Ukraine – Foothill – Major: Sociology

• Scored a goal on three shots in the Bruins’ 2-2 draw at Penn State
• Earns his first Freshman of the Week award