Texas Volleyball’s Eckerman and Ogbogu Earn Big 12 Conference Weekly Honors
IRVING, Texas -- Texas junior outside hitter Haley Eckerman and freshman opposite hitter Chiaka Ogbogu have been named the Big 12 Conference Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively, for matches played Nov. 18-23, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
It is the second offensive nod this season and 14th career Big 12 weekly recognition (ninth offensive) for Eckerman. Her 14 awards rank third in the conference in overall weekly career honors. Ogbogu’s distinction is her third rookie of the week distinction from the league.
Eckerman led the league last week with 6.17 kills per set and 6.42 points per set, while ranking second with a hitting percentage of .484. Her 27 kills against West Virginia on Wednesday were one shy of the Texas record for a three-game set, but were a Big 12 season-high in all matches for the year. The junior hit .634 in the match with just one error in 41 attempts. On Saturday against K-State, she notched 10 kills for a weekly total of 37 and a combined .484 two-match hitting percentage. The Longhorns claimed their third straight league title with the sweep of the Wildcats, improving to 14-0 in league play and 21-2 overall.
Ogbogu led all league freshmen last week with a hitting percentage of .450 (10-1-20). Her 12 blocks, an average of 2.00 per set, led all league players. She totaled seven in UT’s match against West Virginia on Wednesday before adding five more on Saturday versus K-State. Ogbogu leads the league in hitting percentage in Big 12 matches this season with a .417 mark.
Eckerman, Ogbogu and the Longhorns continue Big 12 action Wednesday evening at Iowa State before hosting Baylor on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. to conclude the regular season. Tickets are also now on sale for the NCAA First and Second Rounds slated for Dec. 5-7. Fans may purchase general admission all-session tickets online at TexasSports.com, by calling 512-471-3333, or in person at the Bellmont Hall ticket office (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 a.m.).
