Gophers Volleyball: Ashley Wittman honored by Big Ten

Another week and another award for the Minnesota Volleyball team as senior outside-hitter Ashley Wittman was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. It is the fourth time in five weeks that a Golden Gophers volleyball player has received a weekly award.

In Minnesota’s wins over Indiana and Purdue last week, Wittman recorded a combined 24 kills, 22 digs, and was in on 10 blocks. Her kills and digs were team highs in both straight set victories. The Defensive Player of the Week award was the first of Wittman’s stellar four-year career with the Maroon and Gold.

In addition to Wittman’s honor, teammate Tori Dixon is another Gopher that has been awarded the Defensive Player of the Week from the Big Ten this season. Dixon was also the Big Ten Player of the Week to begin the year.

The front-court tandem of Dixon and Wittman have helped the Gophers to a 14-1 mark to begin the season and will look to build upon that as they go on the road to take on No. 10 Nebraska on Friday. Following Nebraska, Minnesota will battle unranked Iowa on Saturday.

In Other News…

• In the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I Coaches Poll, eight Big Ten teams were ranked in the Top 25, including the Gophers who moved up one spot to No. 8 overall. Previous No.1 Penn State fell to fifth after falling at home to the Michigan State Spartans over the weekend. The Spartans jumped up six spots to No. 9 with wins over the Nittany Lions and the previously undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes.
• The fall issue of Ski-U-Mah Magazine hit the shelves and on newsstands around campus. Legendary Gophers coach Roy Griak is on the cover. For 50 years, Griak has coached the men’s cross country and track and field teams at Minnesota. In addition to Griak, there is a feature on Dixon and Wittman and the decade of volleyball they have been playing together as teammates.

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