Kansas Sweeps Big 12 Offensive, Defensive Weekly Awards
LAWRENCE, Kan. – A back-to-back Tournament MVP and the league leader in digs were each recognized when Caroline Jarmoc and Brianne Riley earned Big 12 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week honors, respectively, marking the first time Kansas earned both awards in the same week in Big 12 history.
“Honors like these are a direct reflection of your team’s performance,” head coach Ray Bechard said. “I think if you look at the history of how these awards are doled out, they signify good individual performances of which these two are very deserving. More importantly, I think they also signify a team that’s playing very well. I’m very excited that the Jayhawk volleyball program is being recognized.”
Jarmoc picked up tournament MVP honors for the second week in a row as the redshirt junior posted 38 kills and a .541 hitting percentage in the Jayhawk Invitational over the weekend. Along with a midweek match for KU, the middle blocker posted a .545 hitting percentage, 54 kills and an average of 5.04 points in 13 sets played. Her most impressive performance came in a KU victory over PAC-12 foe Arizona State on Friday, when she pounded out 14 kills and no errors on an efficient .824 attack percentage, which broke the Big 12 single-season record for a four-set match (previously held by Kelsey Bryant, TAMU, .812, 10/13/07).
On the season, she ranks in the top-three in four Big 12 categories, including first in hitting percentage (.468).
Riley posted double-digit dig totals in KU’s four matches last week, a total of 76 over 13 sets for an average of 5.85 on the week. The junior posted consecutive 20-dig performances to push the Jayhawks past Arizona State and Wyoming en route to the Jayhawk Invitational title. In only three quick sets against the Cowgirls in the championship match, Riley totaled 21 digs.
The libero’s 59 weekend digs gave her a 5.90 digs per set average for the tournament and brought her season mark to 5.68, keeping her atop the Big 12 leader board. She has totaled 1,078 career digs, seventh on KU’s all-time list and first among Big 12 active players.
The weekly award marks the first this season for Jarmoc – and the first Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award for a Jayhawk since Nov. 2008 (Karina Garlington/Nicole Tate). It is Jarmoc’s third weekly honor of her career. Riley’s award marks the first of the 2012 season and the second in her career.
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will travel to South Bend, Ind. for the Notre Dame Tournament, Sept. 14-16, where they will face Loyola Marymount at 4 p.m. to begin the weekend.
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