Pac-12 announces volleyball players of the week

SAN FRANCISCO - The Pac-12 Conference office announced today the Pac-12 Volleyball Players of the Week for the week of Aug. 31-Sept. 6. USC’s Samantha Bricio was voted the Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week for the second-consecutive week, while UTAH’s Brenna DeYoung was selected the Defensive Player of the Week, and OREGON’s Lindsey Vander Weide is the Freshman of the Week.

PAC-12 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: SAMANTHA BRICIO, USC (SR, OH, Guadalajara, Mexico)
Samantha Bricio helped the Trojans to a 3-0 week with sweeps over Creighton, Northern Iowa and then-No. 10 Kentucky at the UNI Tournament. Bricio was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 3.78 kills and 4.78 points per set, while hitting .316. She also had 3.11 digs, 0.11 assists, 0.67 serves and 0.67 blocks per set over the three matches. She closed out the weekend with a double-double against the host UNI, recording 11 kills and 13 digs, becoming just the sixth player in USC history to pass the 1,500-kills and 1,000-dig mark. USC is now 3-0 against ranked teams this season, after upsetting then-No. 7 North Carolina and then-No. 11 BYU in the opening weekend. It is USC’s 61st all-time weekly honoree and ninth offensive honoree. Bricio earns the offensive honor for the fifth time in her career. 

Also Nominated: Kalei Mau, ARIZ; Mercedes Binns, ASU; Alexis Austin, COLO; Mary-Kate Marshall, OSU; Hayley Hodson, STAN; Jordan Anderson, UCLA; Adora Anae, UTAH; Melanie Wade, WASH; Kyra Holt WSU.

PAC-12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: BRENNA DEYOUNG, UTAH (SR, MB, Tooele, Utah)
Brenna DeYoung Set a new career high with 11 total blocks, accounting for nearly a third of the team’s 34 blocks, leading the Utes to a 3-2 win over Gonzaga, closing out a 3-1 week for the Utes. The senior middle blocker had at least six total blocks in all four matches last week, helping the team to wins over Utah State (3-1), Montana (3-1) and the Zags. The team’s lone setback was to Wyoming. For the week, DeYoung averaged 1.25 kills, 1.88 blocks and 2.41 points per set. It is DeYoung’s first-ever weekly honor, and Utah’s sixth all-time honoree.

Also Nominated: Halli Amaro, ARIZ; Whitney Follette, ASU; Cierra Simpson, COLO; Amanda Benson, ORE; Haley Clarke, OSU; Brittany Howard, STAN; Taylor Formico, UCLA; Alicia Ogoms, USC; Cassie Strickland, WASH; Kate Sommer, WSU.

PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: LINDSEY VANDER WEIDE, OREGON (FR, OH, Turlock, Calif.)
Lindsey Vander Weide averaged 3.17 kills and a team-best 3.42 points per set against strong competition last week that included matches against two top-five ranked opponents. She had 15 kills and four blocks in the Ducks’ 3-2 win at George Washington, then closed out the week with 20 kills and a .333 hitting percentage in the five-set loss to No. 4 Nebraska. It is Vander Weide’s first weekly nod and Oregon’s fifth freshman honor all-time.

Also Nominated: Tyler Spriggs, ARIZ; Naghede Abu, COLO; Kayla Ellis, OSU; Hayley Hodson, STAN; Zana Muno, UCLA; Baylee Johnson, USC; Berkeley Oblad, USC; McKenna Woodford, WSU.

2015 PAC-12 VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK