Elyse Cusack - National Player of the Week
November 6th, 2006
University of Florida freshman libero Elyse Cusack picked up her second honor of the day when she became the first Gator since 2000 to be named the Sports Imports / American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week.
Cusack, who was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the day, became just the second libero/defensive specialist to earn the honor in the 14-year history of the award. UCSB’s Kristin Nelson is the only other libero to ever win the award (Nov. 15, 2004). Cusack is also just the second freshman in 2006 to be named the National Player of the Week.
Cusack demolished the previous Florida record for digs in a match by recording 46 in UF's victory at #11 LSU. The previous record had stood since Lyra Vance picked up 34 digs against Florida State in a five-game match on Nov. 9, 1987. Her total of 46 also tied for the sixth-most in NCAA Division I history for a four-game match. Cusack followed up by tallying 25 digs in Florida's 3-1 win at Arkansas on Sunday. In doing so, she broke current teammate Marcie Hampton's school record of 354 digs by a freshman (Cusack now has 379).
For the week, Cusack averaged 8.88 digs per game and bumped her season average to 5.66 per game - easily the highest average in the SEC and a figure that ranks her in the top 30 nationally. Cusack is still on pace to smash the SEC record for digs in a game of 5.12 set by UF's Rachel Engel in 2005.
The honor is the fifth for Cusack this season after being named the SEC's Defensive Player of the Week Sept. 6, Oct. 16 and Nov. 6. She was also named the SEC's Freshman of the Week on Oct. 2.
