Lions' freshman earns another Big Ten award

Penn State women's volleyball freshman outside hitter Nicole Fawcett has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the third time this season after helping the No. 2 Nittany Lions (29-2, 20-0 Big Ten) defeat Michigan State and Michigan on the road.

Fawcett was also named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Sept. 26 and Nov. 14, marking the first time in Penn State history that a freshman had won the honor.

Fawcett led the team in kills in both contests last weekend as the Nittany Lions swept Michigan State and Michigan on the road. She pounded 17 kills on .394 hitting with five digs and four blocks, one shy of her career high, Friday night against the Spartans.

The following night, Fawcett was one of five players to hit above .315, attacking at a .423 clip with a team-high 15 kills, also adding six digs.

For the weekend, Fawcett averaged 5.33 kills per game on .407 hitting with 1.83 digs per game and 0.67 blocks per game.