NEW YORK – Butler outside hitter
Natalie Ravenell was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week after helping the Bulldogs secure two road wins last weekend. The announcement from the conference office marks the fourth time this season that Ravenell has earned the honor.
Ravenell posted a double-double in the four-set win at Seton Hall. The standout newcomer recorded 12 kills and 13 digs while chipping in with four blocks and a service ace for 16 total points. The local product added nine kills and eight digs in the five-set win at St. John's. She added three blocks to reach 10.5 points in the match.
BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Amanda Pedersen-Henry, Villanova, Jr., MB (Murrieta, Calif.)
Villanova junior middle blocker Amanda Pedersen-Henry averaged 4.00 points and 3.17 kills per set with a league-high .472 attack percentage to help the Wildcats secure the fourth and final spot in the upcoming BIG EAST Volleyball Championship. Pedersen-Henry had 19 kills on 36 swings with only two errors for the weekend, 12 came in a 3-0 upset over then-No. 13 Creighton. Pedersen-Henry hit .478 to help lead her team. Pedersen-Henry also added three service aces with 24 total points. She also added 1.67 digs per set with three total blocks.
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Allison Fitzgerald, Villanova, Sr., DS/L (St. Louis, Mo.)
Senior Allison Fitzgerald earns Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting 4.83 digs per set to lead a Villanova team that led the league in kills allowed (11.00). Villanova's defense also ranked second in service aces allowed (0.50) and assists allowed (10.50) and third in opponent hitting percent allowed (.192). Fitzgerald had a match-high 21 digs in their 3-0 upset win over then-No. 13 Creighton on Friday night. Her play at libero helped Villanova clinch the final spot in the upcoming BIG EAST tournament.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Natalie Ravenell, Butler, Fr., OH (Westfield, Ind.)
Freshman outside hitter
Natalie Ravenell helped Butler to another 2-0 weekend by averaging 2.94 points, 2.33 kills and 2.33 digs per set. Ravenell's play helped the Bulldogs lock in the No. 3 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Championship. Ravenell posted a double-double at Seton Hall with 12 kills and 13 digs. She added a service ace and four blocks against the Pirates. In the regular season finale at St. John's, Ravenell posted nine kills, eight digs and three blocks.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Bri Lilly, Butler, Jr., MB (Lynwood, Ill.)
Lilly helped Butler go 2-0 in the final weekend of the regular season averaging 3.94 points, 3.22 kills and 1.11 blocks per set behind a .414 attack percentage. Her 15-kill, four-block performance against Seton Hall clinched a tournament berth.
Megan Ballenger, Creighton, So., MB (Ankeny, Iowa)
Ballenger averaged 1.25 blocks and 1.12 digs per set while adding 2.50 kills per set on .341 hitting in a 1-1 weekend for No. 1 seed Creighton. She had a career-high eight blocks in a 3-2 win over Georgetown, clinching the outright league title.
Symone Speech, Georgetown, Jr., MB (Oak Park, Ill.)
Speech notched double-figure kills in back-to-back five-set losses as she averaged 4.55 points, 4.00 kills, 1.20 digs per set with .303 hitting. Speech had a match-high 25 kills to go with seven digs, three blocks and three assists in a 3-2 loss to then-No. 13 Creighton.
Jenna Rosenthal, Marquette, RS-Jr., MH (Fond du Lac, Wis.)
Rosenthal posted a stat line of 10 kills with just two errors in 22 attempts with three blocks, two aces and two digs in a win over DePaul on Saturday to close out the regular season for Marquette with four wins in a row. Rosenthal's hitting percentage was .318 for the match.
Samantha Foti, Xavier, Sr., OH/DS (Madison, Wis.)
Foti had a standout weekend to close out her career, leading XU to a 2-0 road weekend with wins at St. John's and Seton Hall. Foti led the team in kills (38) averaging 3.80 per set. She had 4.15 points per set with 2.60 digs per set with two aces and three blocks. She established career highs in kills in both matches with 17 against St. John's and 21 at Seton Hall.
