Dooms, Mroczenski Named Volleyball Players of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS -- Valparaiso senior Sarah Dooms has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Green Bay senior Katie Mroczenski has earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for the period of Aug. 26-Sept. 1.

Dooms, an outside hitter from Greenwood, Ind., earned her first Player of the Week award from the Horizon League after being named MVP of the UCF Invitational. Dooms opened the tournament by matching her career-high with 18 kills on a .385 attack percentage in Valparaiso’s five-set win over host, Central Florida. She added 13 more kills the rest of the tournament as the Crusaders easily dispatched their next three opponents to win the tournament championship. She averaged 3.1 kills per set over the weekend and had a .320 attack percent to rank among Horizon League leaders in both categories. Dooms also had four service aces to rank fifth in the conference and 34 digs (8th in the League) after one week of play.

Valparaiso, the HL’s only undefeated team, hosts the Popcorn Classic this week. The Crusaders will play Army, Eastern Michigan, Iowa and Rhode Island.

Mroczenski, a middle blocker from New Berlin, Wis., set a school record with 18 total blocks in Green Bay’s five-set loss to 23rd-ranked Ohio State on Saturday. GB’s previous school record was 13 by Marie Kaland in 1992. The 18 total blocks are the second-most in a single match in Horizon League history. She had seven solo blocks in the match which also set a school record, breaking the previous record of six. Green Bay as a team finished with 21 total blocks vs. Ohio State, the second-most in school history.            

After one week of play, Mroczenski leads the Horizon League with 23 total blocks – eight more than the next closest player – and has an average of 1.77 blocks per set.

The Phoenix are back in action on Thursday as they travel to Auburn, Ala., to play in the Auburn Active Ankle Challenge.

Other Top Performers for the Week:
Alexis Egler, Youngstown State (Jr., OH) - Egler led the Penguins with 41 kills at the Coastal Carolina Tournament. She posted two double-doubles in the tournament and was YSU’s leader in kills in its two wins.
Justine Garcia UIC (Sr., DS) - Garcia led the Flames with 44 digs in their three matches at Navy. She had a team-high 19 in UIC’s win over Elon.
Maggie Hannon, Cleveland State (Jr., MH) - Hannon was named to the Golden Griffin All-Tournament team after leading the Vikings with 40 kills. She had a career-best 20 kills against Eastern Michigan and hit a season-best .562 against Canisius.
Nikki Holmes, Cleveland State (So., DS) - Holmes averaged 5.46 digs per set at the Golden Griffin Invitational and posted a career-best 30 digs against Eastern Michigan
Taylor Humm, Oakland (Jr., OH) - Humm had the second highest kills (29) and most digs (46) for the Golden Grizzlies in their opening weekend of the season. She also had a team-high three service aces.
Missy Hundelt, Youngstown State (Sr., RS) - Hundelt averaged a team-high 3.73 digs per set and 0.87 blocks per set in earning All-Tournament honors at the Coastal Carolina Invitational. She had a career-high 30 digs in YSU’s five-set loss to Iowa and a career-high six blocks in the team’s win over Wofford.
Shannon Hurley, Green Bay (Fr., OH) - Hurley had a team-high 19 kills in her collegiate debut and added 14 more in GB’s five-set loss to 23rd-ranked Ohio State. 
Morganne Longoria, Valparaiso (Fr., L) - Longoria was named to the All-Tournament team at the UCF Invitational after recording 38 digs for Valpo. She did not commit a service reception error in the tournament.
Cassie Pelloni, Oakland (So., OH) - Pelloni recorded double-digit kills in all three Oakland matches this past weekend. She finished the weekend with 41 kills, an average of 3.73 per set.
Miranda Puthoff, Wright State (Fr., L) - Puthoff, making her debut for the Raiders, had 47 digs in 14 sets. Her best effort was an 18-dig performance against UNC-Asheville.
Kayla Price, Milwaukee (So., S) - Price was named to the All-Tournament team at the Holiday Inn West Invitational. She had double-doubles in two of Milwaukee’s three matches.
Heidi Splinter, Wright State (Sr., OH) - Splinter had 57 kills and 44 digs in the Raiders opening weekend of play. She recorded two double-doubles, including a 20-kill, 17-dig performance against UNC-Asheville and a 17-kill, 14-dig effort in WSU’s win over USC-Upstate.
Sara Sternard, UIC (Jr., MH) - Sternard hit .318 or better in all three matches for the Flames and also had double-digit performances in all three matches as she was named to the All-Tournament team at the Navy Invitational. She finished the weekend with 38 kills and a .365 attack percent.