(UW ATHLETICS) – Decelise Champion of the Wisconsin volleyball team has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after her standout performances against USC and UCLA over the weekend, the conference announced Monday afternoon.
Champion opened the weekend with her eighth match with double-figure kills against USC, good for her third-straight match with 20 or more kills. The 21 kills also marked a new career-best. The freshman put together a .444 hitting percentage, tallying her fourth match with a .400 clip or better.
Across the two matches, Champion averaged 5.15 kills per set, 5.93 points per set and added 2.00 digs per set alongside 1.43 blocks per set. She also matched a career-best eight blocks at UCLA, last achieved in her collegiate debut at Texas A&M on Sept. 11.
Champion has now tallied her fifth weekly conference award this season, tying former Badger All-American Molly Haggerty’s five earned in her freshman campaign in 2016. The Puerto Rican native’s five honors also ties for the fouth-most in Big Ten history and last achieved by Chloe Chicoine in 2023 at Purdue. Darcy Dorton and Deja McClendon of Penn State also achieved five Big Ten Freshman of the Week weekly honors as well. Badger great, Dana Rettke still holds the Big Ten Record with nine Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
Up next, the Badgers welcome a pair of conference opponents in Michigan State and Penn State to the UW Field House. Wisconsin will take on Michigan State at 7 p.m. on Thursday before meeting Penn State for a 3 p.m. showdown on Sunday
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