After controlling the net, senior Taya Beller of the Wayne State College volleyball team was awarded with a top defensive honor among league play.
According to a release from Wayne State Athletics, Beller was named the Northern Sun Conference Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week following her efforts in three Wildcat matches last week.
A 6-2 senior middle hitter from Lindsay (Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family HS), Beller led the NSIC in blocks last week at 2.08 per set while also recording 4.67 kills with a .347 hitting percentage. She started the week with a career-high 28 kills while also matching a career-best with 10 blocks in last Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Winona State. Beller followed that performance with 14 kills on a .609 hitting percentage with seven blocks in Friday’s 3-0 sweep over #20 Minnesota Duluth and ended the week with 14 kills and eight blocks in Saturday’s 3-2 setback to #5 St. Cloud State.
For the season, Beller ranks second in the NSIC in points per set (4.73), kills (3.69) and blocks (1.29) while ranked fifth in the league in hitting percentage (.366).
Also under consideration was freshman setter Molly Romano. The Council Bluffs Iowa-native recorded two double-doubles in three matches during the week. She averaged 9.58 assists, 2.67 digs and 1.33 blocks per set. Romano finished with 43 set assists, 11 digs and eight blocks vs. #5 St. Cloud State and was credited with 41 assists, 14 digs and three solo blocks at Winona State. Romano is fourth in the NSIC with 10.88 assists per set and helps the Wildcats as a team lead the league with a .287 hitting percentage.
