Jess Mruzik Named Big Ten Player Of The Week Again

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

Penn State women’s volleyball outside hitter Jess Mruzik was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the second time this season and third time of her career Monday afternoon.

Mruzik led the Nittany Lions (8-3, 2-0 Big Ten) to a pair of sweeps versus Rutgers Wednesday at Rec Hall and Northwestern Sunday in Evanston, Illinois, with 18 kills in each match to begin conference play. Mruzik hit .525 for the week and combined for 14 digs, four total blocks, two assists, and an ace.

Mruzik was previously named the Big Ten Player of the Week on September 5 following the second week of play, when she led the Nittany Lions to a trio of wins over then-No. 22 Western Kentucky, Colgate, and James Madison in the Penn State Invitational with 53 kills and 14 digs. She naturally earned MVP of the tournament and was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week, too.

Mruzik is the first Nittany Lion to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors twice in one season since All-American and 2014 NCAA national championship winner Haleigh Washington did it five times as a senior in 2017.

Mruzik leads Penn State’s offense with 164 kills and has 75 digs through the first 11 matches of the season. Her versatile skill set is a big reason why the Nittany Lions have battled through early-season adversity and have now won four straight matches. It appears Mruzik and setter Mac Podraza, as well as the rest of Penn State’s attackers, are reaching a new level of comfort on the court the last few contests.

Mruzik was honored alongside Nebraska’s Bergen Reilly, who was named Big Ten Setter and Freshman of the Week, and Purdue middle blocker Raven Colvin, who earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week recognition. Mruzik also received Big Ten Player of the Week once during her three-year Michigan career (Nov. 29, 2021).

Senior pin hitter Camryn Hannah, who had 26 kills last week and set a new career high with a .750 hitting percentage in Penn State’s sweep of Northwestern in her hometown of Chicago, was complimentary of Mruzik after Sunday’s win when asked what she enjoys most about playing alongside the Livonia, Michigan, star.

“The fact that I don’t have to cover very much,” Hannah said jokingly. “No, I just like how competitive she is. It drives me to be more competitive, and it keeps our team in check a lot of the time. She’s just a fun player to be around.”

After Penn State’s sweep of Rutgers in its Big Ten opener, senior middle blocker Allie Holland discussed Mruzik’s impact on the team and what stands out about her performance so far this season.

“In addition to, obviously, hitting the ball really hard, she’s just a great six-rotation player,” Holland said. “She’s a consistent server. I always trust her behind me on defense or in serve receive, so it’s really impressive, her six-rotation skills.”