Caryn VanBeckum, a junior middle blocker from Northern
Michigan University, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division II
National Player of the Week. She earned the award for her strong play in
helping the Wildcats to a pair of wins last week, including an upset of
then-No. 8 Grand Valley State. In Northern Michigan's first match of the
week against Ferris State, VanBeckum had 16 kills, four digs, three aces and
eight total blocks in the 3-1 win. In the upset of Grand Valley State, she
tallied 26 kills, six digs, two aces and two total blocks in the 3-2 win to
help knock the Lakers from the undefeated ranks of the Great Lakes
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. For the week, VanBeckum hit at a .363
clip, while averaging 4.67 kills, 1.11 digs, 1.11 blocks and 6.00 points per
game. This is the sixth time a player from Northern Michigan has earned the
Sports Imports/AVCA Division II National Player of the Week award, and the
first since Lucia Pereira on September 14, 1998. The Wildcats are coached by
Dominic Yoder.
