Utah State freshman Emily Kortsen, a 2008 graduate of San Benito
High, was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week
on Monday
LOGAN, UTAH
San Benito High graduate and Utah State freshman Emily Kortsen was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday, the first player from Utah State this season to receive the honor and only the sixth in the last four years.
Kortsen, a three-time MVP in the Tri-County Athletic League who graduated from SBHS in 2008, led the Aggies last week to a four-game victory (25-15, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22) over San Jose State, in which the 6-foot-1 opposite provided 12 kills and no hitting errors.
Kortsen hit .522 (12-0-23) against the Spartans and connected on a career-high seven block assists in the match.
The strong performance was certainly a welcoming sign for Kortsen, who struggled to adjust early on to the bigger-stronger-faster college level of volleyball.
“It was hard at first because it’s a whole new level,” Kortsen said by phone on Thursday. “But my team has helped me a lot and I’ve been improving very fast. I’m definitely getting better.
“It just really shows that hard work pays off. I know I was getting better, but I was still thinking about it a lot … It was really satisfying.”
Kortsen has averaged 1.81 kills on the season, as the Aggies are 8-6 in the WAC, 10-15 overall. Kortsen is also averaging .46 blocks, .25 digs and is hitting at a .246 percentage, which is third on the team.
Former Lady ‘Baler Chelsea Fowles, also a member of the Aggies, is also faring well this season. The 2006 SBHS grad has racked up 920 assists, a 9.58 average which is first on the team, as well as 156 digs.
Utah State, winners of four of their last six matches, currently occupies fourth place in the WAC. The Aggies will wrap up their regular season this week with a pair of road matches before traveling to Hawaii for the WAC Championship.
Information provided by the Utah State Web site.
