Gianna Bender Earns Two MW Weekly Honors

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State volleyball’s Gianna Bender garnered two Mountain West weekly accolades on Monday, earning conference Defensive Player of the Week honors as well as Freshman of the Week distinction after helping the Aztecs to consecutive home victories over Colorado State and Wyoming. The announcement was made by the league office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

With her plaudits, Bender collected her second and third MW weekly awards of the season after she was previously tabbed conference Freshman of the Week on Sept. 23.

A 5-6 libero, Bender totaled 35 digs across two matches (4.38/set), averaging one scoop more per set than her season average (3.38) heading into the weekend. Additionally, the Hudsonville, Michigan, native contributed 11 setting assists (1.38/set) and served up two aces, as the Scarlet and Black defeated the Rams and Cowgirls in successive matches for the first time since the 2012 campaign.

Against first-place Colorado State on Oct. 17, Bender led all players with 17 digs and dished out seven assists, the latter of which marked her third-best total of the year. Not to be outdone, she finished with an unblemished 1.000 reception percentage, converting 25 attempts without an error.

Early in the third set, Bender twirled an ace to cap a 5-1 run that gave SDSU momentum to eventually extend the match. She ultimately registered nine of her digs over the final two frames, as the Aztecs completed the reverse sweep.

Two days later vs. Wyoming, Bender returned to post 18 additional digs (6.00/set), which represented the highest total in a three-set conference match this year and propelled the Scarlet and Black to its first sweep of the Cowgirls since Sept. 29, 2011.

Overall, Bender was part of an SDSU defense that limited Wyoming to its fifth-lowest attack percentage of the year with a .197 clip. She served up an ace in the first set to put the Aztecs in front for good at 12-11, as SDSU went on to capture the opening frame and build momentum.

For the season, Bender ranks seventh in the Mountain West for all matches with 3.49 digs per set and is slotted second on the squad with 18 service aces.

Bender and her San Diego State teammates look to complete an undefeated homestand on Oct. 22, when they play host to UNLV as part of the Mountain West’s Tuesday Night Block Party promotion. Match time is slated for 6 p.m. PT. For ticket information, log on to GoAztecs.com.