VB's Engel Named SEC Defensive Player of Week
Monday, October 24, 2005 | Volleyball
University of Florida senior libero Rachel Engel (Littleton, Colo.) was honored for the second time this season as the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts in wins last weekend against Arkansas and LSU.
Engel averaged 6.83 digs per game vs. the Lady Razorbacks and Tigers as UF (20-1, 10-0) swept both opponents. Engel led all players with 23 digs vs. Arkansas before tallying a match-high 18 digs against LSU. Engel is averaging an SEC record 5.61 digs per game in 2005 - more than a full dig per game better than the previous record of 4.55 per contest set by Georgia's Shelly Gross in 1986. Gross also set the record for digs in a season in the same campaign with 655. At her current rate, if the Gators played 120 games this season, Engel would finish with 673 digs.
Engel, who was previously honored by the league on Sept. 6, brings Florida's total of SEC honors to four this season as senior outside hitter Jane Collymore (Englewood, Colo.) claimed the offensive award Sept. 26 before sophomore Kisya Killingsworth (Deltona, Fla.) earned the offensive honor Oct. 10.
Florida returns to action this weekend when the Gators travel to South Carolina on Friday, Oct. 28 and Tennessee on Sunday, Oct. 30. The contest at South Carolina is set to start at 7 p.m. and will be carried live on Rock 104, while the match in Knoxville at 1:30 p.m. is the AVCA's National Match of the Week and will be shown tape-delayed on CSTV as part of Sunday Night Spikes at 6 p.m. Sunday. The match will air live on WRUF-AM 850 and audio of both matches will be available at www.GatorZone.com.
