IRVING, Texas – Junior middle blocker Zoey Burgess is this week’s Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after leading No. 9 Sun Devil Volleyball at the net in two sweeps over the weekend.
In addition to her weekly award, Burgess is on the Big 12 Starting Seven. Two other Sun Devils made that list as well: senior setter Isabella Costantini and junior outside hitter Una Vajagić.
For Burgess, this is her second time on the starting seven but it is her first weekly award. She is the third from Arizona State to win a weekly award this season (also Elle Mottola and Noemie Glover). This also was Vajagić’s second time on the starting seven. Overall, ASU has had eight Big 12 Starting Seven nods.
For the complete list of Big 12 winners, head to the conference website.
Burgess anchored the defense at the net with six blocks in both sweeps and helped Arizona State hold UCF and Houston to a .034 and .033 hitting percentage, respectively. ASU has held opponents to a sub-.100 clip eight times this season. Burgess, who led all players in blocks in both wins, has had 10 matches with at least five blocks this season.
On the offensive side of things in the wins, Costantini paced the offense in a 5-1, helping ASU hit a season-best .433 against UCF. She collected a season-high 39 assists against the Knights, also earning a double-double with 10 digs. In the victory over the Cougars, she set a season high in blocks with four, which ties her career best.
Vajagić earned double-digit kills in both matches with 11 and 15. This season, she’s reached double figures in kills in all but four matches. Against UCF, she hit .474, which was her fourth time hitting at least .400 this year. Her serving was also on another level this weekend, notching four against the Knights to tie her season high. She added three more against the Cougars.
Up next
Arizona State will play at Texas Tech this Friday before returning home two days later on Sunday to host Utah.
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