INDIANAPOLIS -- Oakland sophomore Cassie Pelloni has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Cleveland State junior Maggie Hannon has earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for the period of Nov. 11-17.
Pelloni, a Bellevue, Mich., native, had back-to-back 20-plus kill matches for the Golden Grizzlies last week as Oakland won two five-set matches to secure the No. 3 in the upcoming League tournament. The outside hitter started the weekend with 26 kills as the Golden Grizzlies battled back to win, 3-2, over UIC. The 26 kills are the most by a Horizon League player this season. On Saturday, she added 22 more kills as Oakland knocked off Valparaiso, 3-2, to clinch the third-seed in the championship.
Pelloni finished the regular season with 329 kills, two behind the League-most. Her 3.07 kills per set average ranks fifth in the League.
Hannon tallied a career-high 10 blocks in Cleveland State’s 3-1 win over first-place Milwaukee on Saturday. Saturday’s match marked the first 10-block performance by a Viking since the 2008 and clinched the No. 6 seed for the Vikings in the Horizon League Tournament. She had six blocks against Green Bay on Friday and finished the regular season with 92.
Cleveland State begins play in the Horizon League Tournament on Friday night when it faces third-seed Oakland at 8 p.m. ET.
Other Top Performers for the Week:
Jillian Bauer, Green Bay (So., L) - Bauer had a career-high 36 digs against Cleveland State, the fifth-highest total in Phoenix history. She posted a match-high 16 digs along with five assists in GB’s sweep of Youngstown State on Friday.
Alexis Egler, Youngstown State (Jr., OH) - Egler averaged 3.12 kills and 3.25 digs per set for the Penguins last week. She had 16 kills in YSU’s five-set match with Milwaukee and had nine kills on a .333 attack percent in three sets versus Green Bay.
Sara Sternard, UIC (Jr., MH) - Sternard had 15 kills against Oakland, adding three blocks. She tied her career-high with 19 kills against Wright State. It was her team-high 18th double-digit kills performance.
Maggie Strus, UIC (Jr., DS) - Strus had 16 digs against Oakland and a season-high 24 digs against Wright State. She currently ranks seventh in program history in career digs.
Leah Van Zeeland, Green Bay (Sr., RS) - Van Zeeland led the Phoenix to a pair of road wins last week. She had a career-high 22 kills and hit .362 in a five-set win over Cleveland State and had match-high 11 kills in GB’s sweep of YSU.
Brooke Wadsworth, Oakland (Jr., MH) - Wadsworth had two solo blocks and 17 block assists last week for Oakland. She had zero blocking errors and helped limit opponents to a .171 attack percentage last week.
Erika West, Youngstown State (Sr., L) - West averaged 4.5 digs per set last week for YSU. She had 21 digs in a five-set match against Milwaukee and 15 digs versus Green Bay.
Kerry Winchester, Cleveland State (Sr., OH) - Winchester posted a career-high 17 kills in CSU’s four-set win over Milwaukee on Saturday. She also notched her first career double-double in the contest, finishing with a career-high 10 digs.
Horizon League Offensive Players of the Week
Aug. 26 - Sarah Dooms, Valparaiso
Sept. 2 - Leah Van Zeeland, Green Bay
Sept. 9 - Grace Kauth, Cleveland State
Sept. 16 - Maggie Hannon, Cleveland State
Sept. 23 - Missy Hundelt, Youngstown State
Sept. 30 - Cassie Pelloni, Oakland
Oct. 7 - Sara Sternard, UIC
Oct. 14 - Rachel Neuberger, Milwaukee
Oct. 21 - Kayla Price, Milwaukee
Oct. 28 - Taylor Kasal, Green Bay
Nov. 4 - Jessica Dood, Oakland
Nov. 11 - Cassie Pelloni, Oakland
Horizon League Defensive Players of the Week:
Aug. 26 - Katie Mroczenski, Green Bay
Sept. 2 - Kelsey Victor, Valparaiso
Sept. 9 - Nikki Holmes, Cleveland State
Sept. 16 - Aly Ryan, Youngstown State
Sept. 23 - Rachel Neuberger, Milwaukee
Sept. 30 - Taylor Golabowski, Milwaukee
Oct. 7 - Erika West, Youngstown State
Oct. 14 - Ellen Vanden Berg, Valparaiso
Oct. 21 - Jenna Cavanaugh, Youngstown State
Oct. 28 - Jillian Bauer, Green Bay
Nov. 4 - Taylor Golabowski, Milwaukee
Nov. 11 - Maggie Hannon, Cleveland State
