Bigbee, Hahn Earn Conference Honors

AMES, Iowa – For the second-straight week, Iowa State volleyball players have earned recognition from the Big 12 conference. Freshman right side Mackenzie Bigbee earned her first career nod as the Big 12 Rookie of the week and junior libero Kristen Hahn repeated as the top defensive player for the second-consecutive week and for the sixth time in her career.

Bigbee smashed 18 kills (4.50 kills per set) on .424 hitting last weekend as the No. 19 Cyclones (7-4, 1-0 Big 12) opened their conference schedule with a four set win over Baylor. Bigbee's 18 kills are the most for a conference player during league play this season and her 18.5 points in the win are tied for first in the league. Overall, Bigbee is ranked seventh in the league with 3.37 kills per set, one of two freshmen on the top-10 kills list this season, and she is the only freshman in the top-10 in points, with an average of 3.57 per set, ranked eighth.

After one full week of conference play, Bigbee is the only freshman in the top-10 in kills per set ranked second, and is one of two freshmen in the top-10 in points per set, with a 4.62 average. In 10 matches played this season, the Williamsburg, Iowa native has double-digit kills in nine matches, including a Big 12-best 25 kills at No. 19 Illinois earlier this season.

Continuing where she left off against Nebraska, Hahn collected 25 digs, the most for a conference player during league play this season. In the early Big 12 season, Hahn's average of 6.25 digs per set against the Bears puts her atop the league rankings, with no other player averaging better than 4.80 digs per set.

The performance against Baylor was Hahn's second-straight with at least 25 digs, after the junior posted 26 digs in Iowa State's upset of the then-No. 1 Huskers two weeks ago. On the year, Hahn has six matches of at least 20 digs and is third in the league with 4.78 digs per set. She is also one of only two players in the Big 12 ranked in the top-10 in both digs per set and aces per set (10th in aces, 0.29 per set).

Texas' Haley Eckerman was the third league player honored, earning top offensive marks.

Bigbee, Hahn and the No. 19 Cyclones play in their first conference road match this week, heading to Lawrence, Kan. to play the Jayhawks (13-2, 1-0 Big 12). First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT and the match will be broadcast on Metro Sports in the Kansas City area.