BYU's Puikkonen Named AVCA/Sports Imports National Volleyball Player of the Week

Puikkonen is the only Division I player to earn the award twice this season.

Women's Volleyball Home HEADLINES MWC Volleyball Scoreboard - Nov. 24, 2009 Mountain West Conference Volleyball Press Release Week No. 14 2009 Mountain West All-Conference Volleyball Team Announced RELATED LINKS • Follow all of the college volleyball action at CollegeSports.com • Email this to a friend

Nov. 20, 2000

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -­ Nina Puikkonen, a 6-3 junior middle blocker at No. 12 ranked BYU, has been chosen the AVCA/Sports Imports Division I National Player of the Week for leading the Cougars to the McLeodUSA Mountain West Conference championship with victories over two ranked teams. Puikkonen is the only Division I player to earn the award twice this season. She was AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week Sept. 11 after the Cougars upset then-No. 1 Stanford and then No. 2-Long Beach State on successive nights.

A native of Murray, Utah, Puikkonen averaged 4.08 kills, 2.62 blocks, 2.31 digs and 0.15 service aces per game as then-No. 13 BYU defeated Wyoming 3-1, then-No. 19 Utah 3-1 and then-No 4 Colorado State 3-2. She chalked up 24 kills, 14 digs and 13 blocks to notch her second triple-double of the season versus Utah in the conference semifinals on Nov. 17.

Puikkonen also attacked at a .422 clip in the semifinal match. She recorded 15 kills, 12 digs and eight blocks to lead BYU over Colorado State on Nov. 18 in the championship match, ending the Rams' 44-match home-court winning streak. Puikkonen, the MWC Tournament Most Valuable Player, set a conference tournament record with 34 blocks, including individual-match conference tournament records of 13 blocks against Wyoming and Utah. She averaged a triple-double for the week with 17.7 kills, 10.0 digs and 11.3 blocks per match.