Tonga Named MWC Volleyball Player of the Week

COLORADO SPRINGS -- BYU's Sunny Tonga, a sophomore rightside hitter, was named the Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week Monday, marking the first time she has earned the award.

A native of Allen, Texas, Tonga helped the Cougars to a 2-0 record last week, highlighted by a three-game upset over No. 3 Colorado State in Provo, Utah, on Saturday (15-1, 15-4, 15-11). She hit .333 (6k-1e-15a) vs. the Rams, and totaled a season-high .679 (20k-1e-28a) hitting percentage in a four-game victory over Wyoming (13-15, 15-1, 15-5, 15-11). For the week, Tonga committed only two errors while hitting .558 with 26 kills, 14 digs, seven blocks and a pair of service aces. The 1999 MWC Freshman of the Year, Tonga is second on the team with 3.22 kills per game and ranks fifth in the conference with a .327 hitting percentage this season.

Tonga's honor marks the third time this year a Cougar has been recognized as the top conference player. She is the second Cougar to earn the award this season, joining two-time winner Nina Puikkonen, an All-American middle blocker.

The Cougars, 17-6 overall and 9-2 in the MWC, host No. 20 Utah in a critical MWC match Friday.

Mountain West Conference Players of the Week:

Sept. 4 -- Courtney Cox, Jr., OH, Colorado State

Sept. 11 -- Nina Puikkonen, Jr., MB, BYU

Sept. 18 -- Delavane Diaz, Fr., OH, Air Force

Sept. 25 -- Angela Knopf, Jr., OH, Colorado State

Oct. 2 -- Allison Peckham, Jr., S, Colorado State

Oct. 9 -- Lucie Turková, Sr., S, Utah

Oct. 16 -- Nina Puikkonen, Jr., MB, BYU

Oct. 23 -- Amy Hallquist, Sr., OH, San Diego State

Oct. 30 -- Sunny Tonga, So., OH, BYU