Katie Dutchman is the first Northwestern Wildcat to capture back-to-back Defensive Player of the Week honors since Christie Gardner did so in 2005.Katie Dutchman is the first Northwestern Wildcat to capture back-to-back Defensive Player of the Week honors since Christie Gardner did so in 2005.

Katie Dutchman Honored By Big Ten For Second Straight Week

Oct. 24, 2011

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Northwestern redshirt freshman Katie Dutchman has been named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Co-Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive seven-day span, the league office announce Monday. The middle blocker notched 15 total blocks in two matches for the Wildcats.

Dutchman (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) was downright dominant at the net once again this week against then-No. 1 Illinois at home on Wednesday, Oct. 19 and then at Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 22. The Californian accumulated nine total blocks against the Illini to lead all players in the match. Against the Hawkeyes, Dutchman accounted for six total blocks, including a single solo effort to score match point for the 'Cats.

Over the past four matches, Dutchman has tallied 33 total blocks at an average of 2.20 per set for Northwestern. She currently leads the Big Ten in blocking volume this season with 106 total and ranks second with an average of 1.41 per set. In Big Ten matches only, Dutchman leads the conference with 58 total blocks and an average of 1.53 per set.

Dutchman is the first Wildcat to capture Defensive Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks since Christie Gardner did so on Nov. 7 and Nov. 14, 2005. She is the first Northwestern player ever to be named Freshman of the Week in consecutive weeks since the award was introduced last season. Dutchman joins Michigan's Lexi Dannemiller as the only two players to win the award in consecutive weeks this season.

Dutchman shares both honors this week with Michigan State's Kori Moster.

The Wildcats, looking to build on a straight-set sweep of Iowa on Saturday, will be back in action at Welsh-Ryan Arena this weekend when Minnesota and Wisconsin come to town on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m.

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