Valparaiso senior libero Taylor Root (Jenison, Mich./Jenison) has been named Defensive Player of the Week by the Horizon League for the third time this season after yet another standout week in the back row for the Crusaders.

Root started out the week with a 29-dig effort in Valpo's come-from-behind five-set victory over IUPUI, while also adding 31 serve receptions without an error against the Jaguars. Then, on Friday, Root had a match about which head coach Carin Avery said "...tonight, Taylor really took it to another level. She was absolutely unbelievable.” The senior picked up 31 digs in just three sets in the Crusaders' sweep of Wright State, matching the second-most in a three-set match in program history and the second-most in the nation this year in a sweep, both only trailing her own mark of 34 set two weeks ago.

On the week, Root averaged 7.50 digs/set in addition to being perfect on serve reception. Her 60 digs over the two matches improve her career total to 2,597, passing Western Michigan's Caitlin Strimel for eighth in NCAA history and just one dig shy of Stephanie Figgers (Stephen F. Austin) for seventh. The weekly honor was the 11th of Root's career from the Horizon League office.