UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Jess Mruzik, a senior for Penn State Women's Volleyball, picked up a pair of big-time awards Tuesday following an impressive performance in three wins at the Penn State Invitational. She was named the AVCA/GameChanger Division I National Player of the Week, as well as the Big Ten Player of the Week.
Mruzik was voted the MVP of the tournament after hitting .345 with 53 kills (5.30/set) 14 digs (1.40/set), eight blocks and three aces as Penn State went 3-0 with wins over No. 22 Western Kentucky (3-1), Colgate (3-0), and James Madison (3-1). She reached 1,000 career kills with her second kill in the opening set of the win over Colgate.
Mruzik closed the tournament with a 26-kill performance in the win over James Madison. It was the most by a Penn State player since Jonni Parker's 29 in a five-set match against Minnesota in 2018. It was the most kills by a Penn State player in a four-set match during the 25-point rally scoring era, which began in 2008.
Penn State's last AVCA National Player of the Week was Haleigh Washington in 2017. Mruzik's honor is the 12th all-time for the Nittany Lions. Alisha Glass and Megan Hodge Easy won three apiece, Micha Hancock won twice, and Syndie Nadeau, Sam Tortorello and Washington each received the award once.
The Nittany Lions moved up to No. 12 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll. They travel to take on Temple on Friday at 7 p.m., and then make the trip to play No. 2 Louisville on ESPN2 on Sunday at 1 p.m.
