SEC Defensive Player of the Week
September 7th, 2005
After averaging 5.47 digs per game through the first week of the season, University of Florida senior libero Rachel Engel was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office Tuesday.
Through Florida's first five matches, Engel has collected 82 digs - a clip of 5.47 which would shatter her school record of 4.25 per game, which she set in 2004. At her current rate, Engel would also break the SEC record for digs in a season with 656.
She helped the sixth-ranked Gators to a perfect 5-0 record during the opening week, which included a 3-0 victory against No. 15 UC-Santa Barbara. Engel made her senior season debut vs. Jacksonville by collecting 18 digs and then followed with her 10th career 20-plus dig match vs. Dayton. She then added 19 digs vs. Missouri State and ended the Aquafina Volleyball Invitational as the tournament leader with 5.56 digs per game.
