Oct. 5, 2009

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Tiger volleyball libero Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.) has been tabbed as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday (Oct. 5). The Big 12 weekly laurel is the third for the Tigers this season and the third in for Vann in her career; her last weekly honor came on September 22, 2008. Vann pulled in 34 digs last week, good enough for 5.67 per set, and committed only two service reception errors on 54 chances while playing in all six sets for the Tigers.

"I am extremely happy to be named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, it has been something that I have strived to get all season," Vann commented. "I think it shows the progression that my defense has made so far, especially since it was not quite where I wanted it to be at the beginning of the season."

Vann pulled in 14 digs at Baylor last Wednesday and followed that with 20 at Iowa State on Saturday, her third 20-dig effort of the season, all of which have come in the last six matches. In fact, over the last six matches, Vann has been on a tear and has risen from eighth in the Big 12 in digs per set to fourth with 4.46. She now ranks second in the Big 12 during league play with 5.42 per set, trailing only All-American Ashley Mass of Iowa State. Vann has 116 digs in her last six matches, compared to just 134 in her first 10.

Vann has pulled in 250 digs so far this season at the halfway point, putting her in line to become only the second Tiger in program history to post back-to-back 500-dig seasons. The only other Tiger to do so was former Big 12 Libero of the Year Tatum Ailes. Vann sits just 23 digs shy of cracking the all-time top five at Mizzou as she now has 1,126 in her career.

Not only does Vann rank among the conference elite in defensive numbers this season, she also ranks second in the Big 12 in total service aces with 21.