Monday, October 27, 2008

Valparaiso senior libero Brittany Malicoat (Elkhart, Ind./Memorial) was recognized Monday as the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week after helping lead the Crusaders to a 3-0 record last week, including two crucial league victories.

Malicoat, who picks up weekly honors for the second time this year and fifth time in her career, just one shy of the Horizon League’s all-time leader, registered 64 digs over three matches last week, averaging 6.40 digs/set.  She picked up a match-best 19 digs in Valpo’s sweep of IUPUI on Tuesday before contributing 18 digs in the Crusaders’ win over league-leading Milwaukee Friday night.  Malicoat concluded the week with 27 digs in the sweep of Green Bay Saturday, matching the third-most digs in a three-set match in Valpo history.  The senior also did not commit a service reception error on 52 attempts for the week.

Malicoat currently ranks second in the Horizon League with an average of 5.45 digs/set and leads all players in league-only action with 5.88 digs/set.  She also extended her streak of consecutive double-digit dig matches to 73, the second-longest active streak in Division I, and increased her career dig total to 2,151.