Kylie Murr, a defensive specialist for the Ohio State women’s volleyball team, earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for the second time this season, just a week after Jenaisya Moore achieved the same accolade.
Murr’s defensive efforts helped Ohio State upset the No. 4 Badgers in four sets Nov. 8. The Yorktown, Ind., native handled 28 serve receptions with only two miscues, while posting 19 digs. She also had 23 receptions with only one error and 22 digs against No. 6 Minnesota.
The freshman standout has recorded double-digit digs in 25 of the 26 matches she has played in and has a .947 reception rate for the season. Murr currently leads the Big Ten and ranks No. 29 nationally with 5.02 digs per set.
During the week, Murr tallied 41 digs and averaged 5.86 digs per set and notched a .941 reception percentage with just three errors in 51 attempts.
Defeating Wisconsin was very significant for the Buckeyes for multiple reasons. The loss to Ohio State marked the Badgers’ first loss in Big Ten play, which snapped a 12-match win streak. The Buckeyes held visiting Wisconsin to a season-low .202 attacking percentage for its first win against the Badgers since Nov. 3, 2017 and the first victory in Columbus since Sept. 27, 2015.
Murr’s honor came a week after Moore was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Nov. 4, marking the first time Ohio State earned consecutive first-year accolades since Audra Appold in 2015.
Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics.
Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics.
Moore, an outside hitter, earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week for her performances against No. 6 Minnesota and Maryland, marking her first weekly honor.
A Germantown, Md., native, Moore, recorded double-digit kills for Ohio State during in both matches. Overall, she posted 4.12 kills per set, 4.38 points per set and a .272 hitting percentage, while averaging 0.62 digs per frame and adding three blocks (one solo).
Moore’s 14 kills helped the Buckeyes push a talented Minnesota squad to five sets, and her 19 kills against the Terrapins marked her Big Ten high. The freshman outside hitter struck at a .395 clip, converting half of her 38 attempts with only four errors. Standing out in her first year, Moore has recorded double-digit kills in seven of the eight conference matches she has played in.
With Murr and Moore helping lead the young Buckeyes as true freshmen, the future is bright for Ohio State women’s volleyball.
For four free issues of the weekly print edition of Buckeye Sports Bulletin, no card required, sign up at the link here: https://www.buckeyesports.com/subscribe-4issue-trial/
