Gophers senior and volleyball captain Ashley Wittman was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. It is Wittman's sixth career weekly conference honor and first in the defensive category. Wittman previously received weekly honors three times as a freshman and twice as a sophomore.
Wittman, a 6-foot outside hitter, led the Gophers offensive and defensive charge as Minnesota swept Indiana and No. 20 Purdue this past weekend. She had nine kills and eight digs in the victory over the Hoosiers, recording her 1,500th career kill along the way. On Sunday, Wittman added her fifth double-double of the season when she established match-highs in both kills (15) and digs (14). On the weekend, Wittman led the team with 24 kills, 22 digs (3.67 per set), and 29.5 points, while she ranked second with 10 blocks (1.67 per set).
