Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska and Iowa Earn Big Ten Weekly Volleyball Awards

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

• Hit .326, averaging 6.00 kills/set while adding 2.71 digs/set in No. 4 Penn State’s wins over No. 10 Purdue and Michigan State 

• Led the attack in a 3-0 road sweep of the Boilermakers with 13 kills in addition to nine digs 

• Hit .356 with 29 kills vs. Michigan State, finishing with 10 digs for her first double-double of the season 

• Her 29 kills were the most ever by a Penn State player in a four-set match during the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present) and the most in any match since Jonni Parker had 29 in a five-set win over Minnesota in 2018 

• Last Penn State Player of the Week: Jess Mruzik (Sept. 25, 2023) 

Co-Player of the Week 
Alissa Kinkela, Rutgers 
RS-Jr. - OH– Melbourne, Australia – Major: Labor Studies 

• Averaged 5.30 kills per set, hitting .446 and averaged 2.40 digs/set in Rutgers’ two five-set Big Ten matches last week 

• Set the program record for kills in a match (29) against Iowa, hitting .429 against the Hawkeyes and recorded 10 digs for her second double-double of the season and ninth of her career. Also tied her season-high with four blocks  

• Followed that performance with 24 kills in a five-set match at Michigan. Helped Rutgers earn two set victories vs. Michigan for the first time in program history and first set win in Ann Arbor since 2015 

• Surpassed 800 career kills behind her 24 kills at an efficient .432 clip. Added 14 digs for back-to-back double-doubles in the opening week of Big Ten play 

• Kinkela is the first Rutgers volleyball player to earn Big Ten Player of the Week 

Defensive Player of the Week 
Lexi Rodriguez, Nebraska 
Sr. - L – Sterling, Ill. - Major: Advertising and Public Relations 

• Had a season-high 20 digs in a 3-1 win against UCLA on Friday and followed up with 13 digs in a 3-0 sweep of No. 20 USC on Sunday  

• Helped hold the Bruins to a season-low .153 hitting percentage and USC to a season-low .137 hitting percentage  

• For the week, Rodriguez averaged 4.71 digs/set, which was second in the Big Ten in the opening week of conference play  

• Last Nebraska Defensive Player of the Week: Lexi Rodriguez (Nov. 20, 2023) 

Setter of the Week 
Izzy Starck, Penn State 
Fr. – Viera, Fla. – Major: Undeclared 

• Averaged 13.29 assists/set and 3.00 digs/set while guiding Penn State to .296 hitting in wins over No. 10 Purdue and Michigan State  

• Starck’s 93 assists and 13.29/set were the most among Big Ten setters in the opening week of conference play 

• The Nittany Lions hit .369 in the Big Ten opener at Purdue behind 38 assists from Starck who added 13 digs for her fourth double-double of the season 

• Piled up 55 assists over four sets in the Nittany Lions’ win over Michigan State. Starck added eight digs and two blocks in the 3-1 victory 

• The 55 assists were the most by a Penn State player in a four-set match since Seleisa Elisaia had 55 in a four-set win over Maryland in 2022 

• Last Penn State Setter of the Week: Mac Podraza (Nov. 20, 2023) 

Freshman of the Week 
Malu Garcia, Iowa  
OH – Hilo, Hawaii – Major: Undeclared 

• Matched a career-high with 17 kills in Iowa’s 3-2 win over Rutgers and followed up that performance with 11 kills in the Hawkeyes’ second five-set win of the week over Maryland 

• Added nine blocks and eight digs vs. Rutgers, leading Iowa to its first win in Big Ten play since November 2022 

• At Maryland, Garcia added five blocks to average 1.40 blocks/set in the Hawkeyes’ 2-0 week 

• Last Iowa Freshman of the Week: Brie Orr (Sept. 18, 2017) 

2024 Big Ten Players of the Week 
Sept. 2 
: Eva Hudson, Jr., PUR 
D: Rebekah Allick, Jr., NEB 
S: Bergen Reilly, So., NEB 
F: Izzy Starck, PSU  
Sept. 9 
P: Raina Terry, Gr., ILL 
D: Nalani Iosia, Sr., MSU 
S: Taylor Anderson, So., PUR 
F: Izzy Starck, PSU 
Sept. 16  
P: Emily Londot, Gr., OSU 
D: Raven Colvin, Sr., PUR 
S: Bergen Reilly, So., NEB 
F: Julia Hunt, WASH  
Sept. 23 
P: Sarah Franklin, Fifth-Year, WIS 
D: Onye Ofoegbu, RS-Sr.., ORE 
S: Mia Tuaniga, Sr., USC 
Co-F: Izzy Starck, PSU 
Co-F: Jadyn Livings, USC 
Sept. 30 
Co-P: Jess Mruzik, Gr., PSU 
Co-P: Alissa Kinkela, RS-Jr., RU 
D: Lexi Rodriguez, Sr., NEB 
S: Izzy Starck, Fr., PSU 
F: Malu Garcia, IOWA