IRVING, Texas — BYU women's volleyball middle blocker Kelli Jo Burgess was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.
Burgess led BYU with 14 total blocks last week, averaging 1.75 blocks per set. She finished with a match-high 10 blocks in the Cougars’ win over UCLA, one shy of tying her career high.
A Lehi, Utah, native, Burgess contributed four blocks, second-most on the team, in BYU’s sweep at Boise State. Offensively, she also added 12 kills while hitting .417 over the two matches.
Additionally, Burgess was named to the Big 12’s Starting Seven, which honors the four weekly award winners — offensive and defensive player of the week, setter and rookie of the week — as well as the week’s top three vote-getters.
| Week 3 Big 12 Starting Seven | |
|---|---|
| Name | School |
| Ksenia Rakhmanchik (Offensive) | Baylor |
| Kelli Jo Burgess (Defensive) | BYU |
| Reese Messer (Setter) | Kansas |
| Taylor Stanley (Rookie) | Kansas |
| Isabela Haggard | Baylor |
| Jenna Ylivainio | Colorado |
| Alice Volpe | TCU |
This is the Cougars’ first weekly conference award of the 2026 season. View the full release on the Big 12’s website.