Hinkle Tabbed Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week
Dec 02, 2019 | Volleyball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Following a career-high 23 digs in a road sweep of Texas Tech on Saturday, K-State freshman defensive specialist/libero Loren Hinkle was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.
Hinkle finished her season with 308 digs (2.75 per set), good for second on the team. In conference-only matches, she ended with 3.53 digs per set – the fourth-best rate in the Big 12 and tops among freshmen. Hinkle started the final six matches of the season as the libero and led the Cats with 25 service aces.
K-State's victory over Texas Tech marked the 350th in the 19-year career of head coach Suzie Fritz. The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 9-19 record (4-12 Big 12) and in a tie for eighth in the league standings.
Hinkle's 23 digs marked the highest total in a three-set match in the Big 12 this season and equaled K-State's program record in a three-set match (rally scoring), as her efforts helped limit the Red Raiders to a .067 hitting efficiency – a season low for any Wildcat opponent. Her 7.67 digs per set paced the league while the second-best average was 4.75 dps. The 23-dig output matched Angie Lastra's three-set record set in 2007.
The Shawnee product takes home her first career conference honor as she is K-State's second Big 12 weekly award winner of the season, joining Dru Kuck who was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on October 21. The pair are the first Wildcat freshmen to earn defensive player of the week honors since the 2007 season.Hinkle finished her season with 308 digs (2.75 per set), good for second on the team. In conference-only matches, she ended with 3.53 digs per set – the fourth-best rate in the Big 12 and tops among freshmen. Hinkle started the final six matches of the season as the libero and led the Cats with 25 service aces.
K-State's victory over Texas Tech marked the 350th in the 19-year career of head coach Suzie Fritz. The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 9-19 record (4-12 Big 12) and in a tie for eighth in the league standings.
Players Mentioned
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