ROSEMONT, Ill.- The Big Ten conference announced Monday that senior Ally Kurland was named Big Ten Player of the Week. It's the first weekly honor for the senior, who put up massive numbers at the plate last week.
Kurland led the Nittany Lions to a 4-0 week, including a sweep over Purdue, which was Penn State's first Big Ten series sweep since 2016. Kurland batted .583, with seven hits, three home runs, and eight RBI. She also had three walks, one intentional, and a 1.417 slugging percentage with a .667 on base percentage.
In the first game against Purdue, Kurland went 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI. She tied the school record for the most home runs in a single game and was the seventh Nittany Lion ever to have five RBI in a game.
Kurland leads the Nittany Lions in home runs (13) and RBI (33). Her 13 homers are the third best mark in the Big Ten and tenth in Division I. Her 14 doubles are the second-best mark in the Big Ten and third best mark in the entire country.
She is the first Nittany Lion to win the honor since Alyssa VanDerveer won it on April 6, 2015.
Kurland was also named a Division I Louisville Slugger/NFCA Top Performer of the Week for her performances against Bucknell and Purdue.
Kurland and company hit the road this weekend for a series against Michigan. Game one against the Wolverines from Ann Arbor is set for 4 p.m. on Friday. The game will be streamed on B1G+ ($).
