Northwestern University Athletics
Yewande Akanbi Tabbed Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week
11/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 28, 2011
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Northwestern freshman Yewande Akanbi has been honored as the Big Ten Conference's Co-Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Monday. This is the first weekly award of her young career.
Akanbi (Houston, Texas/Dawson) was instrumental in Northwestern's 3-1 upset victory over No. 2 Nebraska at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday night. The Texan saved her best performance of her first season for last as she tallied a career-high 20 kills against the Huskers, including nine in the victory-sealing fourth set. Akanbi hit at a clip of .389 (9-2-18) in the fourth set and delivered a pair of crucial terminations to give the 'Cats an edge when the score was tied late in the frame at 22-22 and again at 23-23.
The freshman added three total blocks and a dig against the Cornhuskers. Earlier in the week against No. 7 Illinois, Akanbi chipped in with 10 kills and a pair of digs for the Wildcats. For the week, Akanbi averaged 4.29 kills per set.
Akanbi is the fourth Wildcat to collect Big Ten accolades this season. On August 29, Stephanie Holthus and Julie Chin were named the Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively. Katie Dutchman was honored as the league's Co-Defensive Player and Co-Freshman of the Week in back-to-back weeks in October and the following week on October 31, she claimed each award exclusively. The nine awards that have been accumulated by Northwestern's student-athletes this season are the most in program history. The previous high mark in a season was four, which was set in 2005 and again in 2009.
Akanbi shares the Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor with Penn State's Micha Hancock.
Over the weekend, Akanbi was named COBRA Magazine Midwest Region Honorable Mention. She is one of only four freshmen to earn that distinction this year. COBRA Magazine's purpose is to celebrate the success of volleyball players of African as well as Samoan and Tongan descent in hopes of encouraging young girls of those ethnic groups across the country to pursue the sport.
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