Tonga Named MWC Volleyball Player of the Week
COLORADO SPRINGS -- BYU's Sunny Tonga, a sophomore rightside hitter, was named the Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week Monday, marking the first time she has earned the award.
A native of Allen, Texas, Tonga helped the Cougars to a 2-0 record last week, highlighted by a three-game upset over No. 3 Colorado State in Provo, Utah, on Saturday (15-1, 15-4, 15-11). She hit .333 (6k-1e-15a) vs. the Rams, and totaled a season-high .679 (20k-1e-28a) hitting percentage in a four-game victory over Wyoming (13-15, 15-1, 15-5, 15-11). For the week, Tonga committed only two errors while hitting .558 with 26 kills, 14 digs, seven blocks and a pair of service aces. The 1999 MWC Freshman of the Year, Tonga is second on the team with 3.22 kills per game and ranks fifth in the conference with a .327 hitting percentage this season.
Tonga's honor marks the third time this year a Cougar has been recognized as the top conference player. She is the second Cougar to earn the award this season, joining two-time winner Nina Puikkonen, an All-American middle blocker.
The Cougars, 17-6 overall and 9-2 in the MWC, host No. 20 Utah in a critical MWC match Friday.
Mountain West Conference Players of the Week:
Sept. 4 -- Courtney Cox, Jr., OH, Colorado State
Sept. 11 -- Nina Puikkonen, Jr., MB, BYU
Sept. 18 -- Delavane Diaz, Fr., OH, Air Force
Sept. 25 -- Angela Knopf, Jr., OH, Colorado State
Oct. 2 -- Allison Peckham, Jr., S, Colorado State
Oct. 9 -- Lucie Turková, Sr., S, Utah
Oct. 16 -- Nina Puikkonen, Jr., MB, BYU
Oct. 23 -- Amy Hallquist, Sr., OH, San Diego State
Oct. 30 -- Sunny Tonga, So., OH, BYU
Recent Stories
Women's volleyball season tickets go on sale July 26
BYU women’s volleyball season tickets for the upcoming 2023 campaign will go on sale beginning Wednesday, July 26.
BYU earns 2023 USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award
BYU women’s volleyball was among 201 women's NCAA Division I teams to earn the 2023 United States Marine Corps (USMC)/…