Puikkonen Named MWC Player of the Week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - BYU setter Karina Puikkonen was named Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week, marking her first overall award.

A 6-0 junior from Murray, Utah (Murray HS), Puikkonen led the Cougars to their best offensive week of the season with a .363 team attack percentage en route to wins over New Mexico and Air Force. She totaled seven kills in eight attempts for an .875 percentage vs. the Lobos and added 41 assists, three digs and six blocks. Against Air Force, Puikkonen hit .500 (6-1-10) with 61 assists, seven digs and eight blocks. Behind Puikkonen's ball distribution, five BYU players had at least 20 kills over two matches last weekend with four of those five hitting over .300.

For the week, Puikkonen averaged 14.57 assists per game, 1.86 kills per game, 1.43 digs per game and 2.00 blocks per game, while hitting .667 (13-1-18).

Mountain West Conference Players of the Week:		
Sept. 2 - Kim Turner, Jr., MB, Utah			
Sept. 9 - Andreya Downs, Fr., OH, Colorado State			
Sept. 16 - Sara Maytorena, So., OH, Wyoming			
Sept. 23 - Aspen McPartland, Jr., MB, San Diego State			
Sept. 30 - Aspen McPartland, Jr., MB, San Diego State			
Oct. 7 - Kim Turner, Jr., MB, Utah			
Oct. 14 - Sabine Schulz, So., OH, Utah			
Oct. 21 - Laura Nielsen, Jr., MB, BYU
          Sara Maytorena, So., OH, Wyoming			
Oct. 28 - Kim Turner, Jr., MB, Utah			
Nov. 4 - Karina Puikkonen, Jr., S, BYU