Penn State women’s volleyball players Gillian Grimes and Izzy Starck earned Big Ten weekly honors, the conference announced Monday.

Grimes, a junior libero, was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week after 37 combined digs against No. 8 Purdue and Washington to go along with five assists in each match. She was the first Nittany Lion to receive this recognition in over two years.

Freshman setter Starck was named Big Ten Co-Setter of the Week with Nebraska’s Bergen Reilly after racking up 39.5 assists per match in the team’s two outings this week. It was the fourth time Starck has been named Setter of the Week, while she’s earned Freshman of the Week six times.

Penn State’s wins over the No. 8-ranked Boilermakers and Washington improved its record to 27-2 overall and 17-1 in the Big Ten as the blue and white held onto the No. 4 ranking in Monday’s AVCA Poll.

Grimes, Starck, and the Nittany Lions return to action at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27, against Rutgers for their final away match of the season.

About the Author

Michael Siroty

Michael Siroty is a junior from Westfield, New Jersey, majoring in broadcast journalism. When he isn't writing articles or making TikToks for Onward State, Siroty is probably somewhere talking about college sports. You can contact him to discuss your sushi order or music taste on Instagram and X @msiroty or by email at mfs6682@psu.edu.

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