Following back-to-back victories over ranked teams for the first time since 2012, K-State setter Sarah Dixon was named Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week while outside hitter Brooke Heyne was tabbed Big 12 Rookie of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.
Dixon, who earns her second weekly honor of the season, paced the Big 12 with her 14.29 assists per set in K-State’s 2-0 week. The Chino Hills, California, native produced two of the top three matches in the Big 12 last week in terms of total assists, including a three-set high of 47 against then-No. 24 Baylor on Saturday.
The redshirt junior setter spearheads a Wildcat offense that ranks second in the league in both kills per set at 13.74 and hitting percentage at .251. Dixon’s season average of 11.53 assists per set rank second in the Big 12 and 12th in the country.
Heyne, a redshirt freshman, collects the first weekly honor of her career after producing double-digit kills in consecutive matches last week, including a career-best 15 while hitting at a .467 clip to lead the Cats to their first road win over the Bears since 2014.
In a four-set win over in-state rival Kansas, the Omaha, Nebraska, product put down a dozen kills in K-State’s first home win in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown since 2011. Heyne’s 3.86 kills per set were tops among Big 12 freshmen.
The pair of weekly accolades ups K-State’s season total to six, as the duo join Kylee Zumach and Gloria Mutiri as players of the week during the 2018 season. The Cats’ six total honors is tied for the most in the conference with TCU this season and are the most by a K-State team since earning eight weekly awards in 20014.
K-State (12-7, 2-6 Big 12) begins the second half of its conference schedule Wednesday against Oklahoma (12-8, 4-4 Big 12) at Ahearn Field House at 7 p.m.
