CVU.com National Player of the Week (Dec. 1): Bre Payton

The Collegiate Volleyball Update (CVU.com) is pleased to announce that Northern Iowa sophomore Bre Payton has been selected as the CVU.com National Player of the Week for Nov. 23 through Nov. 29.

A 5-8 setter from Waterloo, Iowa, Payton led UNI to it's 27th and 28th consecutive wins, the Missouri Valley Conference tournament title, earned tournament MVP honors and was named MVC Player of the Year - all in the span of three days.

Opening the conference tournament against Creighton, Payton did it all for the Panthers, leading the team in kills, hitting percentage, assists, aces, digs and blocks as she recorded her seventh triple-double of the season.

In the sweep, Payton guided her team to a .333 hitting percentage as she dished out 34 assists. To that she added: 11 kills on .500 hitting, 12 digs, two aces and five total blocks (two solo, three assisted).

In the championship match, Wichita State proved more of a challenge, but the Panthers claimed the crown in four. In that victory, Payton tossed out 48 more helpers, had five kills and added 13 digs and three blocks.

For the tournament, the sophomore setter averaged 11.71 assists, 3.57 digs, 2.29 kills and 1.14 blocks per set all while hitting .342 overall.

Northern Iowa will face Washington State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

In addition to the Player of the Week, CVU.com will be announcing selections for the Top Performers from the past week. These selections will include the Player of the Week and up to 10 others. Choices will consist of players who were finalists for the weekly honor and others who had exceptional individual matches. The additional selections will be based on nominations and CVU.com staff criteria.

Top Performers

• Kendall Bateman, USC, Sophomore, Setter, 5-11
• Kourtney Edwards, TCU, Senior, Middle blocker, 6-1
• Lauren Gibbemeyer, Minnesota, Junior, Middle blocker, 6-2
• Holly Goode, George Mason, Junior, Middle blocker, 6-1
• Alix Klineman, Stanford, Junior, Outside hitter, 6-4
• Rachael Morgan, Florida State, Sophomore, Outside hitter 6-2
• Rachael Moss, Duke, Senior, Outside hitter, 5-10
• Sonja Newcombe, Oregon, Senior, Outside hitter, 6-1
• Bre Payton, UNI, Sophomore, Setter, 5-8
• Kenzie Shreeve, Northern Colorado, Senior, Outside hitter, 6-2
• Caitlin Strimel, Western Michigan, Senior, Libero, 5-11

Editor's Note: This is the fourteenth in a series of Player-of-the-Week selections that will be made through the remainder of the season and announced on Tuesday or Wednesday of each week.

College and conference SIDs are welcome to make Player-of-the-Week nominations. Nominations are due every Monday by 1 p.m. Pacific time.

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