IRVING, Texas – After earning a new career high in blocks and helping No. 6 Sun Devil Volleyball to two road wins, graduate middle blocker Colby Neal was named this week’s Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
This is the first conference weekly award for Neal in her career. For Arizona State, this is the third weekly award of the season, with Noemie Glover earning the other two. For the second season in a row, ASU has had a middle blocker earn defensive player of the week. Claire Jeter won one last season, she being the first middle since 2013 to win a defensive player of the week nod.
Neal helped Arizona State extend its win streak to 10 in a row after road wins at then-No. 19 BYU and Utah. In the five-set thriller against the Cougars, Neal notched a career-high 10 blocks, leading all players and helping the Sun Devils get a season-high 16.5 blocks. Against Utah, Neal had six blocks, which was tied for the match high. ASU has had double-digit blocks in five of the seven Big 12 matches so far.
Arizona State is heading down to Tucson this Saturday to face in-state rival Arizona. It will start at 6 p.m. MST and will be on ESPN+.