Nolan Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State libero Caitlin Nolan has been named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday afternoon. The award marks the fifth career DPOW award for Nolan. This also marks Iowa State's Big 12-best 41st Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week award since the award's inception in 2007. The next most is Kansas with 15.

Nolan was outstanding in the back row for the Cyclones in each match last week. In ISU's sweep of UNI Wednesday at Hilton Coliseum, Nolan recorded an astonishing 29 digs. The mark is the second-most by a Cyclone in a three-setter, only surpassed by Ashley Mass' 33 at Baylor in 2009, and is tied for the second-most by a student-athlete in a match in the Big 12 in 2015. Of the five matches when a Big 12 player has recorded 29 or more digs, Nolan has three of them.

While the Cyclones fell to No. 4 Nebraska in four sets Saturday at Hilton Coliseum, Nolan was strong again out of the back, recording 25 digs in defeat.

For the week, Nolan posted 54 digs at a Big 12-best 7.71 digs per set. On the season, Nolan ranks atop the Big 12 at 5.71 digs per set. Her 34 digs in ISU's win against Appalachian State on Sept. 4 is the most by a player in the Big 12 this season.

Nolan and the Cyclones start Big 12 play this Saturday at Hilton Coliseum against Texas Tech. First serve will be at 1 p.m.