ASUs Gardner Named Offensive Player of the Week
UWs Orlandini Voted Defensive Player of the Week
WSUs Holt Selected Freshman of the Week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - The Pac-12 Conference office announced today the Pac-12 Volleyball Players of the Week for the week of Sept. 2-8. ARIZONA STATEs Macey Gardner was named the Conferences Offensive Player of the Week, WASHINGTONs Jenna Orlandini was voted the Defensive Player of the Week and WASHINGTON STATEs Kyra Holt was tabbed the leagues Freshman of the Week.

Sophomore outside hitter Macey Gardner (Gilbert, Ariz.) was named the Most Valuable Player of the Gonzaga Invitational over the weekend where she averaged 5.94 kills and 7.06 points per game, while hitting .367 over three matches. Gardner had three-consecutive 20-kill outings, including 22 in a 3-0 win over UNLV. She hit .452 in that match, committing just three errors. She opened the weekend with 20 kills and a .395 hitting percentage against Seattle University, then closed the weekend with 20 kills and a .250 hitting percentage against host Gonzaga. All three matches were three-set victories. Gardner also added 2.22 digs per set.

Senior libero Jenna Orlandini (La Caada, Calif.) averaged 5.36 digs per set in three wins last week, including a pair of exhibition matches versus the Canadian National Team. Orlandini recorded 10 digs against Seattle University, helping the Huskies to a straight-set win. In back-to-back exhibitions against the Canadian National Team, Orlandini totaled 49 digs in two days as UW held a team featuring several former NCAA All-Americans to a .237 attack mark in the first match and .166 in match two, winning both in four sets. She also had five aces in the exhibition wins.

Freshman Kyra Holt (Hercules, Calif.) led WSU to four victories at the Cougar Challenge, averaging 3.92 kills per game on a .294 hitting percentage, while also recording five aces, six blocks and 3.00 digs per set. She had double-digit kills in each match, including a high of 17 in the win over Montana where she also added 19 digs and three blocks. She leads the Cougars in overall stats in kills (100) and kills per set (4.00), hitting percentage (.401), service aces (10), points (117) and points per set (4.70).

Gardner was twice named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week last season, but it is her first-career offensive weekly recognition and ASUs 17th all-time weekly nod. It is Orlandinis second-career weekly award and Washingtons 36th all-time. Holts honor is the first of her career and the first weekly freshman honor for the Cougars in the three-year history of the award.

Weekly awards have been selected every week of the season since the Conference began sponsoring womens volleyball in 1986. It is the third year the Pac-12 has announced an offensive, defensive and rookie honoree.

The Sun Devils are headed to the Illini Classic in Champaign, Ill., to face a couple of teams, including Texas, who is ranked in the top-10 in the country. The Huskies are also off to the Midwest to face Illinois and Loyola-Chicago, while WSU hits the road for the Sam Houston Tournament.

Also Nominated:

OFFENSIVE: Madi Kingdon, ARIZ; Adrienne Gehan, CAL; Taylor Simpson, COLO; Lauren Plum, ORE; Rachel Williams, STAN; Karsta Lowe, UCLA; Samantha Bricio, USC; Makenzie Moeai, UTAH; Kylin Munoz, WASH; VerLeea Hardaway, WSU.

DEFENSIVE: Candace Nicholson, ARIZ; Mercedes Binns, ASU; Cierra Simpson, COLO; Amanda Benson, ORE; Kyle Gilbert, STAN; Mariana Aquino, UCLA; Natalie Hagglund, USC; Bailey Bateman, UTAH;

FRESHMAN: Penina Snuka, ARIZ; Maddy Kerr, CAL; Katelyn Cuff, COLO; Amanda Benson, ORE; Haley Lawless, UCLA; Ebony Nwanebu, USC.

2013 Pac-12 Womens Volleyball Players of the Week

Sept. 2: Karsta Lowe, UCLA, Offensive; Erin Redd-Brandon, UTAH, Defensive; Ebony Nwanebu, USC, Freshman
Sept. 9: Macey Gardner, ASU, Offensive; Jenna Orlandini, WASH, Defensive; Kyra Holt, WSU, Freshman