By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - Green Bay junior Brittany Groth (Oak Creek,
Wis.) was named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week for the week of
Oct. 24-30, the league office announced on Monday morning. The Phoenix libero
was given the honor for the second time in 2011 and third time in her career.
Groth
was awarded for her impressive performance against Loyola in Green
Bay's 3-1 win on Friday night. She tallied 35 digs against the Ramblers and
in the process broke the school record for digs in a four-set match. The old
record of 34 was set in 2005 by current Phoenix assistant Sarah Rauen.
"We
are really proud of Brittany," said head coach Debbie Kirch. "She has
really dedicated herself to be the best she can be and her relentlessness on
Friday was evident. I felt she was everywhere on the court defensively and her
passing was unbelievable. We came out a little flat as a team, and she provided
the spark that we needed."
During
the second set of the match, a set where she had a staggering 12 digs, Groth
also tallied her 1,000th dig of her career. She now has 1,025 digs and will
move into the top-10 on the program's career list with 19 more digs. Making the
total more impressive, she has 1,019 of her digs in the past two seasons.
To
hear reaction from Groth after the match, click
here.
This
season, Groth leads the Horizon League in digs per set (5.52/set) and is also
in the top 25 nationally in the category. With 513 digs in 2011, she needs just
65 more digs to break the school's single-season record held by Megan Elfering,
who had 577 in 2008.
Groth
previously won the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week award on Oct.
11, 2010 and Sept. 26, 2011. Green Bay has won six weekly league awards in the
past two seasons (four defensive, two offensive).
The
junior's performance helped the Phoenix win its second match in a row to get
back to .500 in Horizon League play. Green Bay hosts its final two home matches
of 2011 this week, beginning with Butler on Thursday at 7 p.m. Wright State
will then visit the Kress Center on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Notes... Despite being
overshadowed by Groth, the Phoenix offense had one of its best performances of
the season against Loyola. Green Bay hit .295 in the match, a season high
against a league opponent ... Sophomore Leah Poel's 56 assists against the Ramblers
were a season-high in a four-set match and her third-highest total of 2011 ...
Junior Carmen Leitermann has 33 kills and just four errors in the team's last
two matches ... Sophomore Leah Van Zeeland had 16 kills, her highest total since
posting 19 on Sept. 24 against UIC ... Green Bay is in the top-5 in the league in
six of seven statistical categories, including digs (2nd) and
hitting percentage (.209) ... Groth is averaging 6.62 digs per set in conference
play, 1.3 more than second place.
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