KIRBY NAMED BIG SKY PLAYER OF THE WEEK AFTER LEADING VOLLEYBALL TO A PAIR OF CRUCIAL WINS

11/15/2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State junior Eryn Kirby was named the Big Sky Conference Volleyball Player of the Week after helping lead the Hornets to a pair of home sweeps last week over Montana and Montana State.

In arguably the team’s most important week of the season, the Yuba City, Calif., native responded in a big way, combining to average 5.00 kills, 2.00 digs and 0.67 aces per set to go along with a .373 hitting percentage.

Kirby led all players with 15 kills in both matches, and finished the week with 30 kills and just five errors in 67 attempts. In fact, Kirby’s 15 kills were at least three better than any player on the floor in both victories, and she hit at least .333 in each match.

In the win over Montana on Friday night, Kirby had 15 kills, a .419 hitting percentage (15-2-31), three aces and five digs. She followed up that effort a day later against Montana State by finishing with 15 kills, seven digs, an ace and a .333 hitting percentage.

Kirby has now recorded double figures in kills in eight straight and 12 of the last 13 matches. She is second on the team with nine double-doubles, and her season averages now include 3.22 kills and 2.19 digs per set.

Sacramento State enters the final week of the regular season in a third-place tie with Idaho State in the conference standings. Both teams have 8-6 league marks while the fifth-place squad (Montana) is 7-7. The top four teams in the nine-member conference advance to the Big Sky Tournament (Nov. 26-27), and the Hornets will travel to Portland State (Nov. 19) and Eastern Washington (Nov. 20).