Joy Umeh, UC Irvine  Women’s Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week  Sophomore • Outside Hitter • Lakewood, Calif.

• UC Irvine sophomore Joy Umeh went back-to-back as Big West Women’s Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after another stellar statistical weekend.  

• The 5-8 outside hitter averaged 5.25 kills per set, logging two 20-kill performances as the Anteaters split a pair of road matches.  

• The Lakewood, Calif., native put away 22 kills at CSU Bakersfield and then added 20 kills in a three-set win over Cal Poly, She hit .366 and added a dig and two block assists versus the Mustangs. 

• Umeh has totaled 20 or more kills in three consecutive matches. She currently stands in the top three in The Big West in kills per set (3.89 - 2nd) and points per set (4.17 - 3rd).

Also nominated: Makena Ala’ilima-Daley (Cal State Fullerton), Rowan Ennis (UC Santa Barbara), Martyna Lioniak (Hawai’i), Ava McInnes (UC San Diego), Kasia Partyka (Long Beach State), Isabella Scarlett (UC Riverside), Tommi Stockham (Cal Poly), Olivia Utterback (UC Davis), Milica Vukobrat (CSU Bakersfield)

Deni Wilson, UC Santa Barbara  Women’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week  Sophomore • Middle Blocker • Los Angeles

• UC Santa Barbara sophomore Deni Wilson was big on the net in a pair of Gaucho wins to earn her first Big West weekly honor.  

• The middle blocker from Los Angeles averaged an impressive 2.33 blocks per set to go along with 2.00 kills and a .647 hitting percentage on the week.  

• In a home sweep of Hawai’i, Wilson tied her career-high with eight total blocks, two of which were solos, to go along with an errorless .571 clip.  

• To open the week’s action on Tuesday, she sent down six total blocks on CSUN which she paired with an 8-1-10 line for a .700 hitting percentage. 

• After the strong stat line, Wilson leapt to second in The Big West in hitting percentage (.405), and stands in sixth in the conference in blocks per set (.99).

Also nominated: Julia Crawford (Cal State Fullerton), Dejah Dada (UC Riverside), Peyton Dueck (Cal Poly), Nicole Hoff (Long Beach State), Tayli Ikenaga (Hawai’i), Shira Lahav (UC Davis), Hana Makonova (CSU Bakersfield), Onye Ofoegbu (UC Irvine)

Michelle Ohwobete, UC Santa Barbara  Women’s Volleyball Freshman of the Week    Freshman • Outside Hitter • Oakland, Calif.

• Freshman outside hitter Michelle Ohwobete helped lead UC Santa Barbara to a pair of wins as the Gauchos regained a share of The Big West lead.  

• Hailing from Oakland, Calif., Ohwobete averaged 3.17 kills and 4.25 points per set while committing just one error in 49 receptions.  

• To open the week against CSUN, Ohwobete tallied nine kills, six digs and four blocks in the three-set sweep of the Matadors. 

• In the sweep of Hawai’i, she powered down 10 kills to go along with five digs, three aces and three blocks. She converted all 33 Rainbow Wahine serves that were directed her way to help set up the attack. 

• This marks Ohwobete’s second weekly award of the fall, also earning honors on Sept. 13. 

Also nominated: Amara Aimufua (UC Davis), Marianna Bertolone (UC Irvine), Anya Green (UC Riverside), Martyna Lioniak (Hawai’i), Ava McInnes (UC San Diego), Kasia Partyka (Long Beach State), Tommi Stockham (Cal Poly), Lyla Traylor (Cal State Fullerton)

 

2021 Big West Weekly Award Winners