USC volleyball had a great week as they defeated cross-town rivals UCLA in a dominant fashion. The Trojans completely swept the Bruins off their feat with a resounding 3-0 victory in a three-game match. It was quite embarrassing for the defeated team, as it was the first time since their loss to Tennessee on September 5 that they didn’t steal a single frame.

The standout player for USC was former Nebraska Husker Ally Batenhorst, who led the team in remarkable fashion with a dominant performance on the court. The outside hitter recorded 16 kills with an impressive 0.536 hitting percentage. Through this performance, Ally demonstrated to the entire volleyball world why she’s currently one of the best in the game. Her outstanding effort not only secured a victory for her team but also earned her a well-deserved special honor.

On November 4, the Big Ten released its weekly volleyball awards, featuring four categories: Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week, Setter of the Week, and Freshman of the Week. Ally Batenhorst was named Player of the Week (POTW) for her remarkable performance against the Bruins. This marked a historic moment, as she became the first USC player to receive this honor in the conference. Most fans supported the decision, agreeing that her outstanding play deserved the recognition. However, some expressed disappointment over another player’s omission from the list, sparking debate among fans.

It was Nebraska’s Olivia Mauch. The Huskers are in an absolutely brilliant run of form right now, with a winning run of 19 matches in total. Throughout this incredible streak, Mauch has become a vital cog in the side throughout their victories. This was very evident during their win against the Michigan Wolverines last month.

She performed her defensive duties incredibly well, with 10 digs, leading Nebraska to a 26-28, 25-17, 25-11, 25-21 victory in front of the fans. Since then, she has maintained this level of performance and is thus earning praise from the fans. Thus, they were not happy with her exclusion.

Fans angered with Nebraska Huskers volleyball star’s exclusion

Many fans were left heavily unsatisfied with the list because of Olivia Mauch’s exclusion. One fan said, “The Olivia Mauch erasure is criminal.” Mauch has recorded 123 digs throughout this season and has been rock at the heart of Nebraska’s defence. However, her repeated exclusion from the list is definitely a thing to be concerned about for fans, as she has done enough to warrant her entry. Another reason for the anger was that the Huskers Libero could have been given any one of three awards in the list.

While she could have given the highest honor to the player of the week, Mauch also had an argument for the defensive player of the week and the freshman of the week. “This would have been a GREAT spot to give Olivia Mauch the FOTW,” said one fan. The player is a freshman and is currently playing in the first season of college volleyball. Thus, some fans believe she deserved the freshman of the week.

However, this award was instead given to Penn State’s Izzy Starck, who has averaged 10.31 assists from the start of the season. She had also led Penn State to 0.313 hitting while adding 3 digs per set. Thus, her inclusion isn’t completely undeserved either. But, still, Huskers fans were adamant about her inclusion. Some were even unhappy about another Nebraska team member, Merrit Beason, not being on the team. “Beason and Mauch would like a word,” said one fan. Beason has recorded a brilliant 243 kills this season with an average of 3.156 kills per set. This is an incredible stat that should be celebrated.

Beason has also made 96 digs in total. Thus, she is a top player. But I still couldn’t make the list. In the end, there were no Nebraska Huskers players despite their incredible form, which has angered quite a lot of fans. “Big Ten Vball is a joke. No Husker after the dominating sweep over badgers. Y’all are laughing stock of the country. Complete f-king joke,” ranted one fan. But some people were ready to celebrate Ally Batenhorst’s brilliant achievement to be named player of the week on the list.

One fan wrote, “Former Husker Ally Batenhorst is the Big Ten Player of the Week. She had 16 kills, 10 digs and hit .536 in a sweep of UCLA. In four sets against Washington, Batenhorst recorded 10 kills and 10 digs. She is the first USC player to be named the conference’s POTW.” Ally has had a brilliant season till now. She ended the week with a 0.344 hitting percentage with 26 kills and 61 attempts. The player also received the serve 35 times for the team. Thus, it was an incredible all-round performance for her, which arguably wasn’t matched by anybody. This is why she stood out as the best player of the week.