Thorsell, Whiteley Earn Volleyball Player of the Week Honors

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Tiffany Thorsell of Carthage and Leah Whiteley of Wheaton were named volleyball players of the week in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Tuesday.

Thorsell, a senior middle blocker from Oakdale, Minn., averaged 3.0 kills per game with a .476 attack percentage in five matches last week. Thorsell had nine kills and hit .533 with four blocks in Carthage’s 3-0 win at the University of Chicago on Oct. 25. She also collected nine kills and hit. 412 in Carthage’s 3-0 win over Monmouth College on Oct. 27 at the Illinois Wesleyan University Titan Tournament, and had seven kills and a .583 attack percentage in a 3-0 win over Wisconsin-Stout, also on Oct. 27. She totaled seven kills and hit .538 in a 3-0 loss to Illinois Wesleyan on Oct. 28 and collected 13 kills with a .400 mark in a 3-0 loss to No. 2 Washington University (Mo.), also on Oct. 28.

Whiteley, a libero from Upland, Ind., averaged 7.53 digs per game for the Thunder last week with an 88 percent service reception mark on 142 attempts in leading the Thunder to a 3-2 record on the week. She also recorded 16 service aces over five matches, averaging 0.94 aces per game. In Wheaton’s 3-0 win against Muskingum on Saturday at the Midwest Invitational, Whiteley recorded a career-high 37 digs and added four service aces. It was the most digs by a Wheaton player in a three-game match since 1999 and the second-highest overall digs in a match since 1999. In a 3-1 victory against Kalamazoo College on Friday night Whiteley recorded 33 digs and had a team season-best six service aces in the match.

2006 CCIW Volleyball Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week
Tiffany Thorsell- Carthage (10/31/06)
Melissa Serritella- Illinois Wesleyan (10/24/06)
Ashley Kuehl- Carthage (10/17/06)
Jori Simmons- Carthage (10/10/06)
Jessica Nelson- Elmhurst (10/3/06)
Carly Bearwald- Elmhurst (9/26/06)
Jenny McMillen- Millikin (9/19/06)
Mallory Sullivan - Wheaton (9/12/06)
Rachel Cook- Millikin (9/6/06)

Setter/Defensive Player of the Week
Leah Whiteley- Wheaton (10/31/06)
Katie Bonamer- North Central (10/24/06)
Jenna Passananti- Illinois Wesleyan (10/17/06)
CJ Heckman- North Central (10/10/06)
Jaclyn Verticchio- Illinois Wesleyan (10/3/06)
Jenna Passananti- Illinois Wesleyan (9/26/06)
Kelly Bauer- Carthage (9/19/06)
Kelly Bauer- Carthage (9/12/06)
Stephanie Ryding- North Central (9/6/06)