Northwestern University Athletics
NU Sweeps Big Ten Offensive, Defensive Player of Week Awards
8/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 29, 2011
EVANSTON, Ill. -- A pair of Wildcats have swept the Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards after the 2011 season's opening weekend. Sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Holthus (Burlington, Ill./Central) won the offensive honor while junior libero Julie Chin (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) picked up the defensive nod.
The sweep marks the first time Northwestern has won both the conference's offensive and defensive Player of the Week awards since Lindsay Anderson (O) and Christie Gardner (D) did the trick Nov. 7, 2005. The honors are the first for both Holthus and Chin, though Holthus was the Big Ten's Freshman of the Week on Oct. 11 of last year.
Holthus was named MVP of the Utah Classic, leading Northwestern to three-straight sweeps at the tournament. She recorded 53 kills overall (a 5.89 per set average) and established her first-career 20-kill match with 21 in a three-set victory over host Utah. Holthus also notched her first double-double of the year with 14 digs versus the Utes.
Holthus began the year with 16 kills in each of NU's first two wins. She hit .250 on 128 total swings. Holthus' 5.89 kills per set were far and away the most in the Big Ten this week, out-pacing the second-place rate of 4.50.
Chin also earned a berth on the Utah Classic All-Tournament team after making 56 digs on the weekend (6.22 per set). After digging 16 attacks in each of the first two matches of the Classic, Chin made 24 in a sweep of the Utes. That total was just two shy of her career-best -- which was established in a five-set match last year against then-No. 7 Illinois -- and played a huge role in NU's defense after the Wildcats were able to make just three blocks at the net.
Chin was the lone Big Ten libero to average more than 6.0 digs per set this week, besting the second-place rate of 5.56.
Northwestern returns to action Sept. 2-3 at the Chicago Challenge hosted by UIC. NU opens with a first-round match against Loyola (Chicago) at 5 p.m. CT Friday, Sept. 2, before playing in either the consolation (5 p.m. CT) or championship (7 p.m. CT) matches on Saturday. DePaul and the host Flames round out the field for the tournament.
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