ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – For the fifth consecutive week, the UCF volleyball team had a player honored by the American Athletic Conference. Libero Jordan Pingel was tabbed as The American Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
"Jordan was fantastic this past weekend defensively," head coach Todd Dagenais said. "She continues to have a senior season that student-athletes dream about when they head into their fourth year of eligibility. There is no double we are in the position we are in because Jordan and her position coach Brian Doyon have done a great job of operating in a defensive system that fits our team perfectly."
The honor marked the fourth time the senior has received the weekly honor this season.
As usual, Pingel was an anchor on the No. 23 Knights’ back row. The senior posted a pair of 20-dig performances to finish the weekend with a 6.71 per set tally. In addition, Pingel had a .967 serve reception percentage, one ace, 12 assists and one kill on the weekend.
On Friday, she totaled 24 saves in a three-set victory at UConn, before recording 23 digs in a 3-1 win at Temple on Sunday.
In her swansong campaign, Pingel is averaging 5.11 digs per set, which is on pace to break the school record for digs per set in a season. She is 92 digs away from breaking the single-season digs record, after already eclipsing the career digs record earlier this season.
Last week’s Offensive Player of the Week McKenna Melville was placed on The American Honor Roll after a pair of double-doubles and a 5.43 kills per set clip.
The Knights return home to The Venue for a pair of colossal matches in The American this weekend. UCF will battle Cincinnati on Friday night at 7 p.m. in a contest that has major implications toward the conference championship. The Black and Gold will close out their penultimate weekend at home on Sunday against ECU at 1 p.m.