Puerto Rican volleyball player Decelise Champion, a 16-year-old, 6-foot-6 attacker from Dorado who plays for the University of Wisconsin, was named Monday as the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week in NCAA women’s volleyball. It was her third consecutive honor and fifth in the first 10 weeks of the college season, matching a Big Ten Conference record for freshman weekly awards, according to a University of Wisconsin statement.
The mark carries weight in a conference that holds six of the top 15 college volleyball teams, including top-ranked Nebraska; Wisconsin ranks seventh. The latest recognition came for her play last week against USC and UCLA. Across both matches she averaged 5.15 effective attacks and 5.93 points per set, and she recorded eight assisted blocks against UCLA.
Against USC she had 21 effective kills on a .444 hitting percentage in 36 attempts. Champion is in her first NCAA season after representing Puerto Rico with the national team from the youth divisions through the senior squad. At Wisconsin she teams up with fellow Puerto Rican Grace López.
Wisconsin returns to action Thursday against Michigan State and Sunday against Penn State, ranked 11th nationally.