Taylor French - AVCA Player of the Week - Oct. 31, 2023

French Named AVCA/GameChanger National Player of the Week

Becomes third Titan to receive honor in program history

10/31/2023 2:10:00 PM

AVCA Release

LEXINGTON, Ky. - One day removed from earning her third straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Hitter of the Week award, sophomore Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) of the Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association/GameChanger Division III National Player of the Week, announced by the organization Tuesday, Oct. 31.

It marks the first national weekly award of the sophomore's career, and the first time a Titan has garnered the accolade since Jess McCall earned the honor Nov. 9, 2021. French joins McCall and Tyler Brown (Sept. 13, 2016 & Sept. 19, 2017) as the only Titans to receive the accolade since it began in 1993.

French put up a monstrous week for the Green and White that helped lead the team to a 3-0 week, extending its win streak to seven. In 11 sets played, the sophomore recorded 63 kills on an impressive .296 attack percentage, averaging 5.73 kills per set. She added 42 digs for an average of 3.82 per set, seven assists, five aces, and three total blocks, while finishing all three matches with a double-double. She finished with 70 points on the week, helping her eclipse the 1,000 career points mark, doing so in just 54 matches.

The Romeoville, Ill. native opened the week with 24 kills on a .246 clip, 12 digs, two blocks, and two aces in the Titans' four-set win over CCIW foe Wheaton College Wednesday, Oct. 25. French followed her midweek performance with two dominant matches at the IWU Tournament II Friday-Saturday, Oct. 27-28, leading her to all-tournament team honors.

In Illinois Wesleyan's sweep of the University of Chicago Friday night, Oct. 27, French finished with a 15-kill, 18-dig double-double, while hitting .257 for the match and surpassing the 1,000-point mark. The sophomore closed out the week with her most dominant performance, as she recorded 24 kills on a whopping .391 attack percentage while adding 12 digs, two aces, two assists, and a block to her impressive stat line in the four-set victory over the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

French and the Titans return to action Wednesday, Nov. 1, hosting Webster University. Action is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside Shirk Center.

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