Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State Earn Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced this week’s Volleyball Weekly Awards for the week of October 31 – November 5. 

Player of the Week 

Merritt Beason, Nebraska

Jr. – Opposite Hitter – Gardendale, Ala. – Gardendale – Major: Child, Youth, and Family Studies

• Beason had a career weekend for the Huskers, averaging 6.00 kills per set on .447 hitting with 1.75 digs per set and 1.00 blocks per set

• Beason totaled 48 kills with just six errors on 94 swings this weekend in wins at No. 16 Penn State and Rutgers

• In a 3-2 reverse sweep of the Nittany Lions, Beason had a career-high 27 kills (including six in the decisive fifth set) on .426 hitting with five digs and three blocks and one ace

• Beason followed up that career performance with 21 kills on a .475 hitting percentage with nine digs and five blocks.

• Her 21 kills in Sunday's sweep tied Kelsey Robinson for the most by a Husker in a three-set match in the 25-point rally-scoring era (since 2008)

• Last Nebraska Player of the Week: Merritt Beason (10/23/23)

Defensive Player of the Week 

Carter Booth, Wisconsin

So. – Middle Blocker – Denver, Colo. – Cherry Creek – Major: Undeclared

• Booth helped the Badgers to a 2-0 weekend with wins over No. 19 Purdue and Illinois

• Led all blockers in both matches, tallying seven against No. 19 Purdue and 10 against the Fighting Illini, for a total of 17 blocks

• The six-foot-seven MB averaged 2.43 blocks per set, and helped the Badgers set a program record for most blocks (17) in a 3-set match over the Illini

• She also added 16 kills (2.29 kills/set), hitting .406 (16-3-32), with an assist and two digs.

• Last Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week: Caroline Crawford (10/9/23)

Setter of the Week 

Bergen Reilly, Nebraska

Fr. – Setter – Sioux Falls, S.D. – O’Gorman – Major: Business Law

• Ddddd Reilly led the Huskers to a 3-2 reverse sweep at No. 16 Penn State and a 3-0 sweep at Rutgers over the weekend by averaging 11.88 assists per set and 3.13 digs per set

• Piled up 52 assists and 13 digs in the 3-2 comeback win at Penn State on Friday

• Followed it up on Sunday with 43 assists and 12 digs at Rutgers

• Last Nebraska Setter of the Week: Bergen Reilly (10/23/23)

Co-Freshmen of the Week 

Taylah Holdem, Michigan State

Fr. – Outside Hitter – Christchurch, New Zealand – Burnside – Major: Kinesiology

• Finished the weekend #8 in the B1G in kills/set at 4.33, hitting .281, in a pair of MSU wins

• Led the Spartans in kills in each of their wins on the weekend

• Posted over 3.00 digs/set as a six rotation outside hitter for the Spartans, notching her eighth double-double of the season on Friday night

• Instrumental in Michigan State securing its best B1G record since 2017 with a pair of must-win matches over the weekend

• Last Michigan State Freshman of the Week: Biamba Kabengele (10/28/22)

Mia Tuman, Ohio State

Fr. – Setter – Sewickley, Pa. – North Allegheny – Major: Exploration

• Averaged 11.63 assists/set and 2.25 digs/set this past weekend

• In Saturday’s win over Indiana, Tuman totaled a career-high 56 assists despite the match only taking four sets, moving up to 17th in program history with 767 career assists, and added 11 digs for her seventh double-double of the season

• Totaled 37 assists and seven digs in the four-setter against Minnesota on Friday

• Her 9.59 assists/set this season ranks fifth in the Big Ten and her 179 total digs is tied for third on the Buckeyes’ roster as she averages 2.24/set this season.

• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Kylie Murr (11/11/23)

2023 Big Ten Volleyball Players of the Week  

Aug. 28

P: Emily Londot – Ohio State

D: Kylie Murr - Minnesota

S: Mia Tuman – Ohio State

F: Harper Murray – Nebraska 

Sept. 5

P: Jess Mruzik – Penn State

D: Nalani Iosia – Michigan State

S: Sydney Dowler - Maryland

F: Chloe Chicoine - Purdue 

Sept. 11

P: Chloe Chicoine - Purdue

D: Ellee Stinson – Northwestern

S: Taylor Anderson - Purdue

F: Chloe Chicoine - Purdue

Sept. 18

P: Merritt Beason - Nebraska

D: Amani McArthur – Michigan State

S: Camryn Haworth - Indiana

F: Harper Murray – Nebraska

Sept. 25

P: Jess Mruzik – Penn State

D: Raven Colvin – Purdue

S: Bergen Reilly - Nebraska

F: Bergen Reilly – Nebraska

Oct. 2

P: Meritt Beason – Nebraska

D: Carter Booth – Wisconsin

S: Mac Podraza – Penn State

S: Bergen Reilly – Nebraska

F: Harper Murray – Nebraska

Oct. 9

P: Lindsay Krause – Nebraska

D: Caroline Crawford – Wisconsin

S: Alyssa Nayar – Rutgers

F: Chloe Chicoine – Purdue

Oct. 16

P: Sarah Franklin - Wisconsin

D: Lexi Rodriguez - Nebraska

S: Camryn Haworth - Indiana

F: Ramsey Gary – Indiana

Oct. 23

P: Merritt Beason - Nebraska

D: Raven Colvin - Purdue

S: Bergen Reilly - Nebraska

F: Chloe Chicoine – Purdue

Oct. 30

P: Sarah Franklin - Wisconsin

D: Raven Colvin - Purdue

S: Camryn Haworth - Indiana

F: Bergen Reilly – Nebraska

Nov. 6

P: Merritt Beason - Nebraska

D: Carter Booth - Wisconsin

S: Bergen Reilly - Nebraska

Co-F: Taylah Holdem – Michigan State

Co-F: Mia Tuman – Michigan State