CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Following a week that saw the No. 4 Illinois volleyball team extend its winning streak to 11 matches after earning back-to-back 3-0 sweeps of Northwestern and Rutgers, senior Ali Bastianelli was named the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday (November 19).
Bastianelli earns her first weekly conference honor of the season and fifth of her career, after notching defensive player of week honors in each of her three previous seasons as well as a Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolade as a rookie. As a team, the Illini have collected nine Big Ten weekly honors in 2018.
The Marysville, Michigan native was a catalyst for the Illini defense with a team-high 11 blocks for a 1.83 stuffs per set average as UI opponents were held to a .061 team hitting percentage – including only two sets over a .100 hitting percentage. Offensively, the senior also averaged 3.00 kills per set after totaling 18 kills on a .303 attack clip in the two wins.
The senior's week was highlighted by becoming the first-ever Illini and only the third-ever Big Ten Conference player to register 700 career total blocks with four stuffs to go along with 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage against Northwestern on Wednesday as the Wildcats were held to a -.025 attack clip. She then registered a match-high seven blocks as well as eight kills against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday, with RU being held to a .141 hitting percentage in the match.
Bastianelli and the Illini next head into the final week of the regular season, traveling to East Lansing, Michigan, for a midweek match at Michigan State on Wednesday (November 21) at 6 p.m. CT, before hosting No. 12 Purdue in the regular season finale on Saturday (November 24) at 5 p.m. CT. Saturday's match will also serve as Senior Night as the Illini will honor seniors Bastianelli, Blayke Hranicka and Jordyn Poulter post-match.
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