Sept. 28, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- After helping Penn State women's volleyball to a pair of wins in its first week of Big Ten conference play, sophomore Haleigh Washington (Colorado Springs, Colo.) has earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
The award marks Washington's second consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week honor, as well as her third overall this season. In total, Washington's now garnered six Big Ten Weekly awards during her time in the Blue and White.
Washington helped the No. 1 Nittany Lions to wins against two Top 25 opponents with back-to-back double digit kill performances, posting a team-high .488 hitting percentage during the week. She opened the week with 11 kills on 14 perfect swings for a .786 hitting efficiency in a straight set victory against No. 16 Wisconsin. Washington then tallied 13 kills in a five-set victory against No. 21 Minnesota.
She also led the PSU blocking unit, averaging 1.25 blocks per set in the undefeated week. In both matches, she tallied five total blocks, including two solo stuffs in each outing. Averaging 1.51 blocks per set on the year, Washington's had least three blocks in all but one match this season. Offensively, Washington's leading the team with a .527 hitting percentage.
Washington and the rest of the Penn State women's volleyball team (13-0) remain home this weekend, welcoming a pair of Big Ten teams to the court in Rec Hall. Penn State hosts Nebraska Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m., before taking on Iowa Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. to close out the week. Friday's match against the Huskers will broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Saturday marks Penn State's annual Dig Pink match to benefit The Side-Out Foundation. Fans attending the match will receive pink shakers and are also encouraged to wear pink to the match. Pink Penn State volleyball shirts will also be available for purchase.
Additionally, the Nittany Lions will host a silent auction featuring PSU game-worn pink warmup t-shirts. Proceeds from the auction will go directly toward Penn State's "Dig Pink" profile. Last year's Penn State campaign generated nearly $4,000 for the Side-Out Foundation, a record-number in Penn State's six-year's participating in the rally. To make your contribution, click here.