Christina Gilene Earns National Volleyball Player of the Week Honors

The Juniata ASICS Invitational MVP after recording 71 digs in three wins over nationally ranked opponents, Christina Gilene added AVCA National Player of the Week honors.

Christina Gilene finds many ways to get the ball back in play for the Tigers. File Photo | Erin Pence

September 11, 2012

For the 11th time in school history, a Wittenberg volleyball player has earned Sports Imports/Division III National Player of the Week from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The latest honoree is libero Christina Gilene, class of 2013 from Milford, Ohio, who earned the award on Sept. 11 after leading the Tigers to three victories at the Juniata ASICS Invitational.

The Tigers have been ranked No. 5 in the first two AVCA polls of the 2012 season after winning the 2011 NCAA Division III Championship. Despite losing five starters after posting a 37-3 overall record a year ago, Wittenberg has started the new season in impressive fashion with six straight wins, including four over nationally ranked opponents. The Tigers started with wins over Wartburg, Whitworth and 24^th-ranked Trinity in the Courtyard by Marriott Wittenberg National Invitational Aug. 31-Sept. 1, and they followed that up with wins over ninth-ranked Juniata, preseason No. 1 Christopher Newport and 16^th-ranked Puget Sound.

At Juniata, Gilene shined as she claimed Tournament MVP honors. She racked up 30 digs against the host Eagles in a match that gave Head Coach Paco Labrador his 300^th career victory (in just his 10^th season), and she followed that with 30 more digs the next day against Christopher Newport in a re-match of the 2011 National Championship match. Gilene rounded out her weekend with 11 digs in the win over Puget Sound.

Gilene is the first Wittenberg player to claim Sports Imports/AVCA Division III Player of the Week honors since Amy Cox, class of 2011, was recognized in the first week of the 2010 season.

Wittenberg began the 2012 campaign in its customary position of North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) favorite. The Tigers have lost just two NCAC regular season matches since 1998 and have won 16 of the last 17 NCAC regular season and tournament titles.

Gilene, who leads the Tigers in digs with 130 through the first six matches and stands eighth in school history with 1,714 career digs, leads Wittenberg back into action on Friday, Sept. 14, and Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Wittenberg Fall Classic. The Tigers are set to face Washington University, Calvin and Hope, all of which are ranked in the top eight nationally, along with Mount St. Joseph during the tournament.