Cassie Busse Named AVCA National Player of the Week - GOPHERSPORTS.COM - The Official Athletic Site of the Minnesota Gophers

Cassie Busse Named AVCA National Player of the Week
Senior opposite hitter Cassie Busse (Prior Lake, Minn.) was named AVCA National Player of the Week for Monday, Oct. 27. It

maSenior opposite hitter Cassie Busse (Prior Lake, Minn.) was named AVCA National Player of the Week for Monday, Oct. 27. It marks the first time in her career that Busse has received national player of the week honors.

It is only the fourth time in the history of the program that a Minnesota player has been named AVCA National Player of the Week. Stephanie Hagen was the last player to receive the honors on Oct. 2, 2000. Nicole Branagh (Oct. 11, 1999) and Becky Bauer were the only other players in school history to receiver the honors.

Busse was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the second time this season, and the fourth time in her career. Only Nicole Branagh (5) and Andrea Gonzalez (4) have received it as many times in their playing careers at Minnesota.

This past weekend Busse became only the seventh player in the history of the program to record 30 kills in a match with 30 against No. 22 Michigan State on Oct. 25. It was the first time since Nicole Branagh had 31 kills on Dec. 2, 2000 against Arizona State that a Minnesota player had a 30-kill match. Busse also hit .591 (30-4-44), tied with a match-high 14 digs, had four blocks and two service aces against the Spartans. The previous night Busse had recorded what was then a career-high 27 kills against Michigan. In the two matches, Busse had 57 kills, averaged 7.12 kpg, 2.88 dpg, hit .411 and had 0.75 blocks per game.

With the two victories over Michigan and Michigan State, Minnesota remained in a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten with No. 20 Wisconsin and No. 25 Illinois. The Golden Gophers defeated Illinois at home earlier in the season, and won at Wisconsin in five games on Oct. 11.

Busse's 57 kills on the week also moved her to No. 8 on the Minnesota career kills list. She enters this week 1,264 career kills.

Minnesota will host Iowa in a midweek match on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. The Golden Gophers will then take on No. 20 Wisconsin on Friday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. That match will be telecast on a tape-delayed basis on Fox Sports Net North on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m.