LA JOLLA, Calif.—After helping UC San Diego women's volleyball finish 2-1 on the opening weekend of the 2023 season,
Lauren Brooker and
Emily McDaniel have both earned Big West weekly honors.
Brooker was named Big West Freshman of the Week and McDaniel earned Big West Defensive Player of the Week for their standout performances in Indianapolis at the Bulldog Brawl. It is the first career honor for Brooker and second for McDaniel after earning Freshman of the Week in 2021.
The Tritons kicked off their third season of Division I competition over the weekend and third as a member of The Big West. Brooker and McDaniel's awards mark the fourth and fifth weekly honors for the UC San Diego program since joining the conference in 2021.
LAUREN BROOKER » BIG WEST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Lauren Brooker finished just shy of a triple-double in each of her first three collegiate starts for UC San Diego. The freshman setter/opposite averaged 1.77 kills, 4.00 assists, 2.85 digs and 0.62 blocks per set over 13 sets. Playing in a 6-2 offense, Brooker was a threat offensively for the Tritons with 23 total kills—third on the team. She also led the team with 52 assists and finished second with 37 digs. Brooker recorded at least one ace and one block in each match and finished the weekend with 32.0 points.
In Friday's 3-1 victory over Fresno State, Brooker tallied seven kills, 11 assists, 10 digs, 5 blocks and an ace in her collegiate debut. In the first match of a double-header on Saturday, Brooker finished with nine kills, 15 assists, 10 digs and three aces in a 3-1 victory over Kent State. In the final match of the weekend, Brooker recorded seven kills, 26 assists and a team-high 17 digs against Butler.
EMILY McDANIEL » BIG WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Emily McDaniel averaged nearly two blocks per set (1.92) to dominate at the net for UC San Diego. The middle blocker was named to the all-tournament team after recording 25 total blocks for the Tritons. McDaniel also finished second on the team with 24 kills, averaging 1.85 per set and tallied 40.0 points over the weekend.
McDaniel matched her career high with 10 total blocks (2 solo) in the season opening win against Fresno State. She added eight blocks against Kent State and seven against Butler, as well as collecting four digs on the weekend.
PAST WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Ava McInnes, Offensive (Oct. 17, 2022)
Emily McDaniel, Freshman (Oct. 18, 2021)
Naya Dong, Defensive (Sept. 13, 2021)
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
