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Pac-12 announces volleyball players of the week

Oct 13, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO - The Pac-12 Conference office announced today the Pac-12 Volleyball Players of the Week for the week of Oct. 6-12. USC’s Samantha Bricio was voted the Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week, while WASHINGTON’s Krista Vansant was named the Defensive Player of the Week and OREGON STATE’s Mary-Kate Marshall was tabbed the Freshman of the Week. Vansant’s weekly recognition is the ninth of her career, tying a Pac-12 record.

Samantha Bricio (Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico) was an offensive force in USC’s two wins last weekend, averaging an impressive 7.29 points per set with 37 kills on 80 total attempts with an additional 12 service aces in wins over COLORADO and UTAH. Bricio became USC’s all-time career aces leader (182) after an eight-ace performance against the Utes, career high, also tying the single-match USC record. It marked the fourth time this season she has posted more than six aces in a match. She logged her sixth and seventh double-doubles of the season for 30 in her career, and recorded a career-best 32.0 points against the Utes. Bricio’s career total also ranks her second all-time in Conference history.

Krista Vansant (Redlands, Calif.) led the Huskies in both kills and digs in both of UW’s road wins last weekend. On Friday, the senior had the third 20-20 match of her career with 26 kills and 24 digs, adding a pair of aces and three blocks as Washington defeated OREGON STATE, 3-1. In a top-25 showdown against then-No. 11 OREGON on Sunday, Vansant posted 16 kills and 16 digs as the Huskies rallied to win in four sets. The 2013 AVCA National Player of the Year surpassed the 1,600 career kills mark in her performance against the Ducks. For the weekend, Vansant averaged 6.12 points per set and 5.00 digs per set, while hitting at a clip of .311. 

Mary-Kate Marshall (Coppell, Texas) posted 30 kills on 93 swings with just four total errors on the weekend as the Beavers split two home matches against No. 3 Washington and WASHINGTON STATE. The freshman hit a clip of .306 against a Husky defense that has held opponents to a .162 attack percentage, recording 16 kills along with five digs and two blocks. In Saturday’s win over the Cougars, Marshall earned her fourth double-double of the season with 14 kills and 16 digs. Her 248 kills on the year are the 10th best all-time in a single season by a Beaver freshman, and her 4.20 kills per set average is the fifth-best mark in the league and the best among all freshmen in the Pac-12. 

Bricio’s honor is the third of her career and 58th for the Trojans overall. Vansant’s weekly accolade is the 46th all-time for UW and marks the ninth of her career, which ties with STANFORD’s Logan Tom for the most-career player of the week honors for a Pac-12 player. It is Marshall’s second freshman of the week honor this season and the fourth for OSU. 

USC and Oregon State face off on Sunday, Oct. 19 after the Trojans host Oregon and the Beavers play at UCLA on Friday, Oct. 17. The Huskies are in the desert this weekend, traveling to face ARIZONA STATE and ARIZONA on Friday and Sunday. All five matches will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks. 

Also Nominated

Offensive: Taylor Simpson, COLO; Martenne Bettendorf, ORE; Tayla Woods, OSU; Jordan Burgess, STAN; Karsta Lowe, UCLA; Krista Vansant, WASH. 

Defensive: Cierra Simpson, COLO; Amanda Brown, OSU; Kyle Gilbert, STAN; Zoë Nightingale, UCLA; Taylor Whittingham, USC; Kate Sommer, WSU. 

Freshman: Anna Pfefferle, COLO; Merete Lutz, STAN; Reily Buechler, UCLA; Jordan Dunn, USC; Tia Scambray, WASH. 

2014 PAC-12 VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

  Offensive Defensive Freshman
Sept. 1 Madi Kingdon, ARIZ Inky Ajanaku, STAN Mary-Kate Marshall, OSU
Sept. 8 Karsta Lowe, UCLA Inky Ajanaku, STAN Frankie Shebby, ORE
Sept. 15 Karsta Lowe, UCLA Bailey Bateman, UTAH Frankie Shebby, ORE
Sept. 22 Krista Vansant, WASH Arica Nassar, OSU Tia Scambray, WASH
Sept. 29 Karsta Lowe, UCLA McKenzie Jacobson, ARIZ Tia Scambray, WASH
Oct. 6 Krista Vansant, WASH Lianna Sybeldon, WASH Merete Lutz, STAN
Oct. 13 Samantha Bricio, USC Krista Vansant, WASH Mary-Kate Marshall, OSU