Purdue Outside Hitter Kenna Wollard Receives Big Ten Honors
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After a huge week in the Stacey Clark Classic, Purdue outside hitter Kenna Wollard is receiving a mention from the Big Ten. The junior was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week after helping the Boilermakers to a 2-1 record in the event.
Wollard was Purdue's top offensive player in all three matches last week, producing 63 total kills and averaging 4.50 kills per set in matches against No. 23 Georgia Tech, Bowling Green, and No. 15 Kansas. She also hit .290 for the week.
Wollard may have saved her best performance for Purdue's win over the 15th-ranked Jayhawks on Friday night at Holloway Gymnasium. She finished that match with 20 kills, 15 digs, two service aces and two blocks. The Boilers upended the Jayhawks in five sets to improve to 4-1 on the year.
In total, Wollard concluded last week with 63 kills, 34 digs, five aces and five blocks.
Here's the complete list of the Big Ten Players of the Week:
- Co-Player of the Week — Allison Jacobs, OH, Michigan
- Co-Player of the Week — Kenna Wollard, OH, Purdue
- Defensive Player of the Week — Duru Gokcen, MB, Maryland
- Setter of the Week — Teodora Krickovic, S, Indiana
- Freshman of the Week — Jaidyn Jager, OH, Indiana
Wollard comes up big vs. Kansas
After falling to Georgia Tech 3-1 in the opener of the Stacey Clark Classic last Wednesday, Purdue had to hit the reset button. In the next two matches, Wollard kicked it into high gear, especially in Friday's five-set match against Kansas.
"I had to really go out there and swing, find what was open, and find how I could score. Towards the end of the match, they were figuring out how to defend me, so I really had to start using other shots," Wollard said. "But my teammates were really helping me with all of that. We got help from everybody; everybody was scoring at the end of the match."
Wollard said that, even though the Boilermakers hated dropping that first match of the week to Georgia Tech, it was a learning experience for a new team.
"We learned that we don't like to lose," Wollard said. "These last two matches, we gave it our all, put it all out there, and came out with wins."
Related stories on Purdue volleyball
MCALEER HAS BIG NIGHT: A native of Overland Park, Kan., Purdue libero Ryan McAleer put on a show against her hometown school and put her name in the Boilermaker record books. CLICK HERE
PURDUE DOWNS KANSAS IN FIVE SETS: Purdue got off to a shaky start in the Stacey Clark Classic with a 3-1 loss to Georgia Tech on Wednesday. The Boilers turned it around and beat a talented Kansas team to close out the event on Friday. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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