Nov. 14, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the second time in as many weeks and the third time this year, senior Christie Gardner (West Bend, Wis./West Bend East) is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
Gardner began the weekend by breaking her own Northwestern single-match record -- 36, set Nov. 4 against No. 15 Purdue -- with 37 digs in a 3-2 win at No. 17 Minnesota.
She followed that effort with 23 digs the next night in a sweep of Iowa, holding the Hawkeyes to just an .015 hitting percentage. The 23 digs gave Gardner 464 for the season, topping her own Northwestern single-season record of 460, set last year.
Gardner has broken school dig records in four of the last five matches. On Oct. 29 at No. 3 Penn State, she became Northwestern's career leader in the category. She broke the single-match record in the very next contest against the Boilermakers.