Oct. 14, 2013
Rosemont, Ill. - Following a 2-0 weekend at home, senior Katie Slay and junior Micha Hancock earned a pair of conference weekly awards as Slay was tabbed the Big Ten Player of the Week and Hancock was named Setter of the Week. The selection is Hancock's second straight, while Slay's is her first of the season.
Slay and Hancock are no stranger to Big Ten weekly honors as Slay has now tallied eight career conference awards, while Hancock has totaled 12, including eight Setter of the Week laurels.
Against No. 11 Minnesota, Slay matched a career-high mark with 16 kills on .444 hitting. She also logged a season-high 10 blocks, bringing her career total to 502 total blocks. With the mark, Slay became the eighth member in program history to eclipse 500 total career blocks.
Hancock also recorded a career-high performance dishing out a personal best 67 assists, adding four kills, eight digs and one block against the Gophers.
Slay helped the Nittany Lions close out the weekend with a straight-set victory against No. 19 Wisconsin, registering a team high eight blocks, adding six kills. Hancock distributed 33 assists in the win, while also posting one kill, one ace and four digs. Hancock also entered this weekend's matches as the nation's leader in aces per set for the fifth consecutive week.
Hancock, Slay and the rest of the Penn State women's volleyball team will hit the road this weekend, traveling to Illinois and Northwestern for a pair of Big Ten titles. The Nittany Lions will look to extend a five-match winning streak visiting the Fighting Illini, Friday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET, before taking on the Wildcats in a Sunday matinee, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. ET.
To view the complete Big Ten Weekly Awards release, please visit http://www.bigten.org/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/101413aaa.html