Brown, Morgan Claim SEC Weekly Accolades
BIRMINGHAM – For the third consecutive week, the Kentucky Wildcats have claimed Southeastern Conference honors, as the league office named sophomore Kaz Brown the Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week, while freshman right side Brooke Morgan was named the top freshman.
The duo came up big over the weekend in which the Wildcats earned sweeps on the road of Alabama and Ole Miss. The duo from Iowa played a large role on the defensive end, holding opponents to .126 hitting during the week.
Brown, en route to her first SEC Player of the Week honor, had dominant presence at the net logging 18 blocks in just six sets of play. With 10 blocks at Ole Miss, Brown is tied for the most in an SEC match and most in a three-set SEC match this season. Her effort at the net was a large part of helping UK out-block opponents 27-10 in the two outings. Brown also added 14 kills on .345 hitting during the sweeps.
Following the week’s play, Brown leads the SEC in conference blocks per set, averaging an astounding 1.78 rejections per frame in league play. She also leads the conference in total blocks during SEC play with 57.
The weekly honors mark Brown’s second accolade for a defensive performance this season, after being named Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 21. Brown’s Player of the Week distinction marks the first of her career and is the third consecutive top weekly honor for the Wildcats, with sophomore libero Ashley Dusek and senior setter Morgan Bergren earning SEC Player of the Week in the past two weeks.
Morgan claims her third Freshman of the Week honor following a weekend where she hit .520 for 15 kills with nine blocks in six sets. Morgan played a critical role on both sides of the ball over the weekend and set a new career-best hitting percentage at Alabama, going 7-for-10 with no errors against the Crimson Tide.
Morgan is averaging 2.44 kills per set in league play while averaging 0.84 rejections per set. She also ranks ninth in SEC-only hitting percentage, tied with sophomore teammate Emily Franklin striking at a .333 clip.
Surprisingly, this is not the first time that the duo of Brown and Morgan have earned awards together. The two Iowa natives both played for the same club volleyball team, Nike Six Pack, where they earned a U16 Championship.
Kentucky’s Memorial Coliseum will play host to the NCAA Regionals Dec. 11-12. UK is one of four sites selected for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matchups with one team advancing to the Final Four in Omaha, Neb., from the Lexington Region. This marks the third time in five seasons Memorial Coliseum will host this premier volleyball event.
