SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Freshman middle blocker Heather Gneiting had double-digit kills and six blocks in each of BYU’s two matches last week, earning her West Coast Conference Player of the Week.
In just three sets, Gneiting secured 11 kills, hitting .500, and six blocks against Santa Clara. On Saturday, Gneiting helped fill in by hitting an impressive .571, garnering 10 kills and another six blocks in a sweep over San Francisco for the No. 1 Cougars. The win clinched at least a share of BYU’s fifth-straight conference title.
Gneiting’s .571 hit percentage helped BYU to finish the night with a .537 percentage as a team, good for the fourth-best mark in a three-set match by any team in the country this year. It’s also the second-best percentage in the rally scoring era and fourth-best overall in BYU history.
Gneiting enters this week with the third-best hitting percentage in the country (.428) and is 16th in the nation in blocks per set (1.44).
This is Gneiting's first Player of the Week honor and the sixth in 12 weeks for the Cougars, including three by Roni Jones-Perry and two by Lyndie Haddock-Eppich.
Also Nominated: Katie Barker, Portland; Sarah Chase, Saint Mary’s; Peighton De Von, Gonzaga; Heidi Dyer, Pepperdine; Kaitlyn Lines, Pacific; Addie Picha, San Diego