Alexa Markley Named Big Ten Freshman Of The Week

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

Penn State women’s volleyball outside hitter Alexa Markley was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week Monday after helping the Nittany Lions beat Indiana and Purdue on the road.

Markley combined for 21 kills, five blocks, two digs, and an assist in Penn State’s sweep of the Hoosiers and 3-1 victory over the Boilermakers last weekend. The Peachtree City, Georgia, native is fifth on the team with 116 kills. She also has 24 blocks, 17 digs, and four aces in 19 matches, including seven starts, so far this season.

Markley was a three-time state champion at McIntosh High School and participated in the Under Armour All-American match prior to her arrival at Penn State last summer. Markley was one of the top pin hitter prospects from the 2022 recruiting class, showcasing her talents on the club circuit with A5 Mizuno Volleyball.

After taking double-digit swings one time in her first six matches, Markley has become a significant part of Penn State’s offense in recent weeks, averaging 26 swings per match in her last 13 contests. Markley took a career-high 41 swings against Purdue and finished with 13 kills — one shy of tying her collegiate best set on the road at Illinois on October 26.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley discussed Markley’s presence on the court and how she’s grown as a player throughout the season during a recent Tuesday press conference.

“Alexa works hard in practice,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “She gets extra reps and knows that she has great opportunities ahead of her. I think she’s a special player, and she’s going to do some great things. She’s really improved since preseason here. I think she brings great energy to the floor.”

Markley joined a trio of Ohio State Buckeyes in earning Big Ten recognition this week, as Emily Londot, Kylie Murr, and Mac Podraza garnered conference honors following Ohio State’s four-set wins over Purdue and Nebraska. Markley is the first Nittany Lion to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Week since Jonni Parker on November 19, 2018.

Leisa Elisaia has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week three times this season, while Allie Holland and Kash Williams were both recognized by the conference after leading the Nittany Lions to wins over Stanford and Oregon in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge.

No. 14 Penn State (21-6, 10-6 Big Ten) climbed two spots in this week’s AVCA rankings ahead of a huge home stand against No. 9 Minnesota and No. 3 Wisconsin this Friday at 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Rec Hall. Both contests will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.

Markley touched on the team’s mindset and how she thinks they’ve improved during a press conference on October 4, but as Schumacher-Cawley said last week, “The great teams get better at this point in the season,” and Markley is excited to continue putting in the extra work with her teammates.

“I think you can definitely see the growth in our team,” Markley said. “We always talk about how it’s all 17 of us together, and it really shows on the court. Me, personally, I think I’ve grown so far, but I’m looking forward to continuing that.”