Langs named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
IRVING, Texas — Kansas volleyball freshman middle blocker Rachel Langs is the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after a standout performance during week two of conference play, the league announced Monday.
Langs registered the second 14-block outing in the league this season at Oklahoma (Sept. 26), one block shy of the Big 12 record of 15 total blocks in a five-set match. The freshman recorded 11 of her 14 blocks in a two-set span and now leads the conference in blocks (19) and blocks per set (2.11) in league play.
Those 14 stuffs at the net also broke a four-year old KU record held by Tayler Soucie (Nov. 29, 2014).
“Our coaching staff did a really great job of putting together a scouting report to help us prepare and gave great feedback throughout the game,” Langs said. “There was constant communication on the court and it was easy to execute the game plan at the net knowing that our defense had our backs behind the block.”
Offensively, Langs turned in a .320 hitting percentage against the Sooners, adding 10 kills on 20 total attacks. Added to the 14 blocks, that is just the 16th kill-block double-double performance by a Jayhawk in school history.
Partly due to Langs’ defensive efforts, the Jayhawks lead the Big 12 Conference averaging 2.95 blocks per set, turning in a total of 162 on the season.
“I wouldn’t have been able to [earn this award] without the support of my teammates and coaching staff,” Langs said. “Our goal is to improve each and every day, and we are constantly striving to meet that goal. My hope for myself and the rest of the team is that we keep up the hard work and improve each day throughout the season.”
The honor is Langs’ first-career Big 12 weekly nod and KU’s second of the season in as many weeks, as junior Zoe Hill garnered Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors Sept. 24.
Kansas (9-4, 2-0 Big 12) takes a five-match winning streak into Wednesday night’s Big 12 home bout against West Virginia (Oct. 3). The Jayhawks and Mountaineers will faceoff on ESPN+ from inside Horejsi Family Athletics Center at 6:30 p.m.
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