Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Junior middle blocker Nicole Schulz (Kewaskum, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) has been named the Mid-Continent Conference Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Crusaders to two key conference victories last weekend.

Schulz kicked off the weekend with an outstanding match against UMKC, registering 18 kills on just 30 attacks and hitting at a .533 clip. Her 18 kills was a match-high and also tied her season-best output. Schulz stood out especially in game two, putting down eight kills without any errors on 10 attacks.

She followed with another 18-kill performance in the Crusaders' victory over Western Illinois, matching her career high for the second straight night. Schulz also registered four blocks as Valpo took sole possession of second place in the league with the victory.

For the week, Schulz hit at an astounding .439 clip while averaging 5.14 kills/game. She also chipped in 0.57 blocks/game. For the season, Schulz ranks fifth in the league in kills (3.23/game), third in hitting percentage (.326), and fourth in blocks (1.11/game). She is the only player in the Mid-Con to rank in the top-five in each of the three categories. Schulz becomes the third different Crusader to earn Athlete of the Week honors this season.