Nike #HLVB Players of the Week (October 5)
INDIANAPOLIS (October 5, 2022) – IUPUI’s Briana Brown and Youngstown State’s Paula Gursching earned this week’s Nike® #HLVB awards. Brown led the Jags to a 2-0 record on the road as she ranked top-2 in the League for the week in kills and points. Gursching paced #HLVB with 6.38 kills per set and 7.19 points per set while holding a .388 hitting percentage.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK | BRIANA BROWN | IUPUI | SOPHOMORE | OH | ALSIP, ILL.
Brown helped the Jags go on a 3-0 run in conference play with two wins on the road against Youngstown State and RMU. She hit .337 in the two matches combined with 4.78 kills per set to lead the Jaguar attack and also averaged 3.11 digs per set. The sophomore helped lead the charge in the comeback win over Youngstown State with a season-high 22 kills and 10 digs. She followed up that performance by totaling 21 kills with a season-high hitting percentage of .435 and 18 digs in the win over the Colonials.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK | PAULA GURSCHING | YOUNGSTOWN STATE | SOPHOMORE | OH | SCHWALBACH AM TAUNUS, GERMANY
Gursching averaged 6.38 kills per set, which was the second-most in the country in matches played between Sept. 30 and Oct. 2, as the Penguins split their two matches against IUPUI and Purdue Fort Wayne. She also averaged 7.19 points per set, which was 2.19 more than the closest HL player. The sophomore had just 11 errors in 103 attempts and hit .388, which was the third-best mark in the League and recorded a double-double in each of her matches. In the five-set match against the Jaguars on Friday, she tied the school record for most kills in a match regardless of length or format with 31. She added an ace and two blocks while hitting .364 in the match. In the sweep of Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, Gursching had 20 kills on a .432 attack percentage while also contributing four aces. She also had 11 digs in both matches.
2022 Nike® Players of the Week
August 31 – Callie Martin, Wright State & Paula Gursching, Youngstown State
September 7 – Angie Gromos, Green Bay & Sam Ott, Wright State
September 14 – Alexandra Zakutney, Green Bay & Paula Gursching, Youngstown State
September 21 – Tiffany Paalman, Green Bay & Jenna Story, Wright State
September 28 – Anna Burke, Northern Kentucky & Lainey Stephenson, Wright State
October 5 – Briana Brown, IUPUI & Paula Gursching, Youngstown State