Molly Tuozzo Named SEC Player of the Week; DeLeye, O’Brien Also Honored

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior libero Molly Tuozzo was named the Southeastern Conference’s Volleyball Player of the Week on Monday afternoon in addition to Defensive Player of the Week as she joined her teammates Kassie O’Brien and Brooklyn DeLeye, who earned conference honors for the week.

Tuozzo’s overall conference player of the week honors are the first of her career and she collects her eighth SEC Defensive Player of the Week award to go alongside. O’Brien won SEC Setter of the Week, while DeLeye was named the league’s offensive player of the week.

Kentucky went 2-0 on the week, throwing two points on the board for the SEC in the inaugural Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge including a historic win over No. 12 Penn State at Wrigley Field in front of over 43,000 fans in the Friendly Confines.

Tuozzo averaged five digs per set on the week as the senior libero set a new season high with 19 digs against No. 13 Penn State on Sunday night at Wrigley Field. Tuozzo helped hold UK’s opponents to .192 hitting with UK’s opposition earning more than three kills per set fewer than the Wildcats did. Tuozzo had 16 digs against UCLA on Wednesday night which tied her season high before setting a new season best against Penn State on Sunday. Tuozzo also had a new season-high six assists in out-of-system balls for the Wildcats against the Nittany Lions.

O’Brien ran the Kentucky offense to the tune of .308 hitting and 13 assists per set this week as Kentucky beat UCLA and No. 13 Penn State. O’Brien set two new season high’s as she dished out 43 assists in a three-set sweep of UCLA on Wednesday night before turning around to hoist 48 assists Sunday in a four-set win against No. 13 Penn State. The sophomore also had four blocks during the week and recorded three aces with two coming Wednesday night against the Bruins to notch her second multi-ace match on the young season.

DeLeye guided Kentucky with 5.14 kills per set and a 20-kill performance against No. 13 Penn State on Sunday night at Wrigley Field. DeLeye’s 21 kills were a new season high, breaking her season best by five against the ranked Nittany Lions. DeLeye also Sunday evening picked up her first double-double of the year, throwing in 10 digs alongside her 21 terminations. The native of Topeka, Kansas hit .329 on the left for UK as it beat UCLA and Penn State on the week and only had 10 errors on an efficient 79 swings for the senior outside.

SEC Weekly Awards – Week 2

Overall Player of the Week – Molly Tuozzo, Kentucky

For the latest on UK Volleyball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @KentuckyVB.