ST. LOUIS – For the second-consecutive week and third time this season, sophomore outside hitter Tamara Otene has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week after combining for 45 kills and 26 digs in Illinois State's two matches over the weekend.
No one in the Valley has more kills in a four-set match this season than Otene, whose career-best 27 kills accounted for nearly half of Illinois State's 57 kills against Loyola-Chicago. Hitting an impressive .404, Otene was just one dig shy of her second-straight double-double with nine digs against the Ramblers. The Auckland, New Zealand native keeps getting better each week with her 27 kills marking the second-straight weekend she's notched a career-high kills total.
In the Redbirds' win over Valparaiso, Otene posted a match-leading 18 kills and a career-best 17 digs, marking her fifth double-double of the season. Otene averaged 5.63 kills per set and 3.25 digs per set, while hitting .301 in the Redbirds' two matches this weekend.
Now with 448 total kills on the season, Otene ranks third all-time in Illinois State history for total kills by a Redbird sophomore. She has posted 10+ kills in 25 of ISU's 29 matches this season, including seven times with 20+ kills in a single match.
Leading the next closest player by 54 kills, Otene has the most total kills in the MVC with 296 in league play, averaging a conference best 4.55 kills/set. She also leads the Valley with 328.5 points during conference action, averaging 5.05 per set, the only player to average more than five per set.
Nationally, Otene's 448 total kills throughout the entire season rank 13th in the NCAA, while her 494 points this season, rank 19th in the NCAA.
UP NEXT
Otene and the Redbirds will be back in action this Friday, November 19 when they host Bradley for Senior Day. First serve is set for 6 p.m. with the senior celebration for ISU's three seniors and senior manager to follow the match.
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