|
sports
Weaver racks
up Big West awards
By Marten Lewerth
On-line Forty-Niner
Senior Cheryl Weaver
moved into some elite company this week as she was picked
the Big West Conference's Player of the Week for the third
time this month.
Weaver, a two-time
All-American middle blocker for the top-ranked Long Beach
State women's volleyball team, averaged 5.89 kills, 2.0 digs
and 1.0 blocks per game last week to claim her fourth conference
accolade on the season.
With Monday's announcement,
Weaver has now earned a career total of seven Player of the
Week awards, a feat eclipsed only by former 49er and Olympian
Danielle Scott, who won the award nine times.
"Those are nice
awards people are giving her, she deserves them," LBSU Head
Coach Brian Gimmillaro said. "She's becoming a better player."
A co-Big West Player
of the Year in 2000, Weaver is only the third 49er in program
history to receive the Big West's weekly award three times
in one month. Scott, a former NCAA Player of the Year, earned
three in November 1993 and Antoinnette White did the same
in September of 1991.
"Cheryl belongs
in the group of players that have exemplified the quality
of the program here," said Gimmillaro, who added he is not
the biggest fan of individual awards. "It's nice to play well
enough to get those awards, but you don't get them without
the team."
Gimmillaro also
said the only thing separating Weaver from the likes of former
49ers Scott, White, Misty May and Tara Cross-Battle is a Player
of the Year plaque from the NCAA.
"Cheryl has a great
deal of work to do at the national level to get in step with
them," he said. "But, it's hard to ignore her."
A 6-foot-2 native
of Washington D.C., Weaver averaged a team-best 5.36 kills
per game on .465 hitting in October and is averaging 4.81
kills per game on .452 hitting through 59 games this season.
|
