Purdue's Grace Heaney, Taylor Anderson Receive Weekly Big Ten Awards
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Purdue right-side hitter Grace Heaney and Taylor Anderson have taken home some hardware after leading the Boilermakers to a 2-0 record last week.
Heaney was named the Big Ten Player of the Week and Anderson was awarded Setter of the Week honors for their contributions in wins over Illinois and No. 20 Minnesota over the weekend. The Boilermakers improved to 17-3 on the year and 8-2 in Big Ten play with those two victories.
It marks the first time Heaney has been named Big Ten Player of the Week. Anderson has now been named Big Ten Setter of the Week in back-to-back weeks.
Purdue swept Illinois 3-0 on Friday and pulled off a reverse sweep of Minnesota on Sunday. In the latest AVCA poll, the Boilermakers were ranked No. 10.
Grace Heaney, Big Ten Player of the Week
Heaney was named the conference's Player of the Week after massive performances against both Illinois and No. 20 Minnesota over the weekend. She finished the two matches with 38 kills, 18 digs, and five total blocks for the Boilermakers.
On Friday night, Heaney led the Boilermakers with 16 kills while hitting .536 for the night. Two days later, the redshirt sophomore piled up a career-high 22 kills and added 11 digs, giving her a double-double, the third of her career.
Heaney played a pivotal role for Purdue in both matches, helping to get a pair of Big Ten wins over the weekend. This is the first time she has been named the conference's Player of the Week.
She joins outside hitter Kenna Wollard as the only Boilermakers to receive Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season. Wollard has taken home the award twice.
Taylor Anderson, Big Ten Setter of the Week
Anderson earned Big Ten Setter of the Week for a second consecutive time after guiding Purdue's offense over the weekend. She started off with a big night in the win over Illinois, finishing the match with a double-double of 32 assists and 11 digs.
The junior setter was marvelous in Purdue's reverse sweep of Minnesota, as well. On Sunday, she was responsible for 59 assists, eight digs, and five kills.
In total, Anderson ended the weekend with 91 assists, 19 digs, seven kills, and six blocks.
Anderson has proven herself to be one of the top setters in the country this season, leading a prolific Purdue offense. Her hard work has been recognized by the Big Ten each of the last two weeks.
Related stories on Purdue volleyball
PURDUE IN BIG TEN STANDINGS: Where does the Purdue volleyball team sit in the Big Ten standings after posting wins over Illinois and Minnesota over the weekend? CLICK HERE
PURDUE REVERSE SWEEPS MINNESOTA: Purdue opposite hitter Grace Heaney had a career day, leading No. 11 Purdue to a reverse sweep of No. 20 Minnesota at Holloway Gymnasium on Sunday. 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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