Crusader freshman libero Taylor Root (Jenison, Mich./Jenison) has been named ‘The People’s Choice’ this week on the Horizon League Network, and is spotlighted in the featured video on the HLN website via phone interview.

‘The People’s Choice’ is a weekly segment on HLN that allows fans to choose which athlete they believed had the most outstanding week among the Horizon League’s Athletes of the Week.  Voting is open from Monday around noon through Tuesday afternoon each week, with an interview with the winner posted on HLN Thursday afternoon.  Root beat out Butler’s Boris Gatzky (men’s soccer), Milwaukee’s Sarah Hagen (women’s soccer) and Cleveland State’s Beth Greulich (volleyball) for this week’s honor.  The freshman is Valpo’s second honoree this season, joining Angie Porché, who won the accolade in its first week.

Root received Defensive Player of the Week accolades last week after tallying 90 digs over four Valpo wins, including a school-record 31 for a three-set match against Green Bay.  She currently leads all Horizon League players with 4.86 digs/set on the season.  In her interview with HLN’s Damon Lewis, Root talks about her performances last week, as well as how she chose to come to Valpo to play volleyball and what it’s been like to step right in to the Crusaders’ starting lineup as a freshman.