Elyse Cusack Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week
Monday, November 17, 2008 | Volleyball
Junior Florida libero Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.) has been named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week for her strong performances this past weekend against Tennessee and Kentucky, the league office in Birmingham, Ala., announced Monday.
Cusack earns the league's Defensive Player of the Week honor for the third time this season and the eighth time in her Florida career.
Cusack led the Gators defensively this weekend in matches with Tennessee and Kentucky on the road, averaging 5.25 digs per set and 0.38 service aces per set. During the course of the weekend, Cusack, the school's all-time career digs leader, became the first player in school history to surpass the 1,500-dig mark.
Cusack eclipsed the 20-dig plateau in each of this weekend's two matches and, on Friday vs. the Lady Vols, she charted a match-high 22 digs. Cusack also directed the team's passing efforts vs. Tennessee, recording a perfect 1.000 reception percentage on 26 reception attempts. She helped lead the team to its highest reception percentage of the season (.984), as the Gators committed just one reception error in the entire match.
Cusack now has 1,529 career digs and has moved into sole possession of seventh place on the SEC's all-time career digs list. On the season, Cusack ranks first on the team and third in the SEC in digs per set with 4.62 and is second in the league in service aces with 0.42 per set. She is the only player in the conference to rank in the league's top three in both digs and service aces.
Cusack and the Gators return to action on Friday, when they play host to Mississippi State. Opening serve in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center is slated for 7 p.m. EST and the match will be carried live on WRUF-AM 850 with Tom Collett and Missy Whittemore.
WEEK 12 SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offensive Player of the Week – Sarah Rumely, Kentucky
Defensive Player of the Week – Elyse Cusack, Florida
Freshman of the Week – Becky Pavan, Kentucky
END OF REPORT
