BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — The Long Island University women's volleyball team received several recognitions in the NEC weekly awards on Tuesday, as senior Sara van Gisteren was named the NEC Player of the Week and junior Reese Teves was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week.
Additionally, both van Gisteren and Teves joined senior Yasmeen Muhammad and graduate student Dilara Elmacioglu as NEC Prime Performers.
van Gisteren led LIU in kills (47), total blocks (11), and points (57) at the Northwestern Invitational last week, where LIU won its first match against a Power 4 opponent since 2014, defeating Virginia Tech 3-1 on Sunday. She also totaled 34 digs and 3 service aces last weekend.
Against Virginia Tech, van Gisteren totaled 23 kills, a .377 hitting %, 17 digs, 7 total blocks, 2 solo blocks, and 27.5 points, leading LIU in kills, digs, and blocks in the win. The Leuth, Netherlands native recorded kills on five of the final six rallies in the fourth set to seal the win.
Her 23 kills against Virginia Tech are the second-most by an NEC student-athlete this fall, and the most both against a Power 4 opponent and in a four-set match this fall.
Teves dug the ball well all weekend, posting 42 digs across all three matches, and finishing each match with double-digit digs. The Waipahu, Hawaii native also finished the weekend with a .957 receiving percentage on 47 attempts.
In Friday night's match against Green Bay, Teves recorded 20 digs against the Phoenix, setting a new career-high mark in the category. Having totaled 11 digs in matches against Northwestern and Virginia Tech, Teves now has four consecutive matches with double-digit digs.
Muhammad finished the weekend with 19 kills, a .415 hitting percentage, three digs, 11 total blocks (2 solo) and 25.5 points at the Northwestern Invitational last weekend.
In LIU's win over Virginia Tech, Muhammad totaled 11 kills on a .588 hitting %, with two digs and five total blocks.
Elmacioglu ended the Northwestern Invitational with 109 assists, two kills, one service ace, and four total blocks. The Gaziantep, Turkey native totaled a career-high 43 assists in LIU's win over Virginia Tech on Sunday.
The Sharks return to action on Saturday, Sept. 19, when they take on Duke University at the Butler Invitational in Indianapolis, Indiana. First serve is at 2 p.m.
