Around The Big Ten – September 4

The latest news and performances from a busy slate in the Big Ten Conference. 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.

BIG TEN FOOTBALL WEEKLY AWARDS

Player of the Week
Eva Hudson, Purdue
Jr. – OH – Fort Wayne, Ind. – Major: Biomedical Health Sciences/Pre-Medicine

• Led the Big Ten offensively in opening week with 46 kills and 50.5 points during a 3-0 week for the Boilermakers. Hudson was a key factor in Purdue leading the Big Ten in kills/set and a .337 hitting percentage throughout week one

• Averaged 4.60 kills/set, hitting over .430 in back-to-back matches. Hudson hit .500 or better in each of the final two sets vs. UC Davis, totaling 12 kills during that span

• Posted a double-double in Purdue’s season-opener with 16 kills and 12 digs. Tied a career-high with five blocks vs. Kansas State. Had a 15-kill, nine dig effort vs. UC Davis and hit .467 vs. UMBC with 15 kills and one error on 30 swings
• Earns the fifth Player of the Week honor of her career
• Last Purdue Player of the Week: Eva Hudson (Nov. 20, 2023)

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

• Named Most Valuable Player and Best Middle Blocker at the season-opening AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky.

• Allick had 11 kills (.667%) and career-high-matching 12 blocks to lead the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky in the season-opener. As a team, Nebraska posted 18 blocks, the most for the Huskers since 2018, holding Kentucky to a .139 hitting percentage

• Allick combined for 19.0 blocks throughout the Huskers’ 3-0 opening week, averaging 1.90 blocks/set

• Allick averaged 2.40 kills and 1.90 blocks/set with a .415 hitting percentage in the Huskers’ three wins against Kentucky, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and TCU

• Earns her third career weekly award
• Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Lexi Rodriguez (Nov. 20, 2023)

Setter of the Week
Bergen Reilly, Nebraska
So. – Sioux Falls, S.D.  – Major: Business and Law

• Led the Huskers to three victories in week one with 10.73 assists/set and 3.18 digs per set

• Named Best Setter at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., as she led Nebraska to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky with 39 assists and 11 digs

• Reilly had three double-doubles on the week, including 43 assists and 14 digs in a 3-1 win over TCU

• Reilly set a career-high with five service aces in a sweep of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, oepning the match on a 10-0 behind the service line

• Reilly set the Huskers to a .286 hitting percentage in the three wins

• Earns her seventh career weekly honor
• Last Nebraska Setter of the Week: Bergen Reilly (Nov. 6, 2023)

Freshman of the Week
Izzy Starck, Penn State
S – Viera, Fla. – Major: Undeclared

• Recorded a double-double in her collegiate debut with 42 assists and 12 digs while leading No. 7 Penn State to a .343 hitting percentage in a 3-1 road win at No. 15 Tennessee to open the season

• Followed up that performance with 27 assists and five digs after splitting the setting duties in a 3-0 win at Temple

• Starck was the first freshman setter to start for the Nittany Lions since Micha Hancock did in 2011

• Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Alexa Markley (Nov. 21, 2022)

MEN’S SOCCER WEEKLY HONORS

Offensive Player of the Week
Tommy Mihalic, Indiana
Sr. – F – Skokie, Ill. – Niles North – Major: Business Management

• Scored three goals, as Indiana went 1-0-1 on the week

• Recorded both goals in the Hoosiers’ 2-0 win over Yale

• Gave Indiana a 2-1 lead in the 69th minute of its 2-2 draw at Notre Dame

• Garners his second career Offensive Player of the Week award

• Last Indiana Offensive Player of the Week: Samuel Sarver (Oct. 10, 2023)

Defensive Player of the Week 
Shakir Nixon, UCLA
Fr. – D – Cerritos, Calif. – Cerritos – Major: Business Economics

• Recorded his first three collegiate points in 52 minutes of the No. 10 Bruins’ 2-0 win over No. 8 Portland

• Assisted on the eventual game-winning goal in the 54th minute before adding his first career marker in the 76th minute

• Earns his first Defensive Player of the Week award

Goalkeeper of the Week
Sam Joseph, UCLA
Jr. – San Diego, Calif. – Saint Augustine – Major: Sociology

• Tallied three saves, as UCLA topped Portland 2-0

• Recorded a diving stop in the 5th minute before adding a save in the 90th to secure his second clean sheet of the season

• Earns his first Goalkeeper of the Week award

Freshman of the Week 
Dean Boltz, Wisconsin
Fr. – F – Palantine, Ill. – William Fremd – Major: Undeclared

• Totaled eight points on three goals and two assists as No. 22 Wisconsin scored a pair of wins

• Scored two goals on two shots and added an assist in a win over UIC

• Assisted the game-tying goal in the 72nd minute before netting the game-winner in the 86th minute of a 2-1 win over Marquette

• Earns his second consecutive Freshman of the Week award

• Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Dean Boltz (Aug. 29, 2024)

FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive Player of the Week
Makenna Webster, Ohio State
Gr. – F – St. Louis, Mo. – Shattuck St. Mary’s

• Recorded a conference-high 10 points on four goals and two assists in a pair of Buckeye victories in Columbus.
• Notched her second career hat trick with a three-goal performance in Ohio State’s 6-1 win over 20^th-ranked UAlbany
• Factored in 60 percent of the team’s scoring as OSU experienced its high-scoring opening weekend in five seasons
• Captures her second career weekly award, her first coming nearly a year ago to the day
• Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week: Makenna Webster (Sept. 5, 2023)

Defensive Player of the Week
Abby Danson, Ohio State
Sr. – G – Clifton Park, N.Y. – Shenendehowa Central

• Allowed just two goals in 116 minutes of action in victories over No. 20 UAlbany and Bucknell at Buckeye Varsity Field
• Held Albany scoreless the last 54:15 minutes of the game and finished with four saves in the season opener
• Stopped nine of 11 shots on goal for an .818 save percentage during the weekend
• Secures the second Big Ten weekly honor of her career
• Last Ohio State Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week: Abby Danson (Aug. 30, 2022)

Freshman of the Week
Aby Deverka, Penn State
Fr. – G – Houston, Texas – The Kinkaid School

• A true freshman, Deverka kept her team close against two Top-10 teams, playing every minute in goal
• Registered 11 saves on 13 shots versus third-ranked Virginia in a 2-1 setback on Aug. 30
• Made three saves in an identical result against No. 10 Syracuse on Sept. 1, finishing the week with a 2.00 goals-against average
• Becomes first Nittany Lion in four seasons to win the Big Ten Freshman Award
• Last Penn State Big Ten Freshman Winner: Sophia Gladieux (April 19, 2021)