Baylor redshirt junior Katie Staiger was named the Big 12 Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon.
The outside hitter from Plano, Texas, earned her fourth offensive POTW award from the conference this year, passing Anna Breyfogle (3, 2007) for the BU record for single-season weekly honors.
Staiger helped lead the Bears to a historic 2-0 week in Big 12 play, including the team’s first win in Ames over Iowa State since 2005 and the first win over Oklahoma in Waco since 2008. The 6-2 mark in Big 12 play matches the 2009 squad for the best eight-game start of the conference schedule in program history.
With 27 kills against the Cyclones and 19 facing the Sooners, Staiger easily paced the conference in kills (46), kills/set (5.11), points (48.5), and points/set (5.39). Staiger leads the Big 12 in all four categories this season and ranks in the top-five nationally in each.
Her four offensive awards in 2016 ties for the fourth-most in Big 12 history by one player in a single season, becoming just the fifth player in the conference to earn four or more Big 12 Offensive POTW honors in a season.
The Baylor squad improved its program-record sixth weekly honor of the season, including four from the Big 12, with Staiger earning four conference and one national offensive POTW awards. Additionally, Jana Brusek earned Big 12 Defensive POTW on Sep. 26.
For Staiger, it is the fourth conference offensive award of her collegiate career and her fifth Big 12 weekly award overall, after earning Big 12 Rookie of the Week on Sept. 29, 2014.
Her five career weekly awards ties Anna Breyfogle (2007 [3], 2008 [1], 2009 [1]) for the Baylor record for career honors from the conference.
Staiger is joined among the honorees by Mia Swanegan of West Virginia (Defense) and Micaya White of Texas (Rookie).
