Iowa, Purdue, and USC top list of Big Ten Players of the Week

There were some new and familiar faces on this week’s Big Ten Players of the Week list.

​

Several teams had huge wins this past week, and they were rewarded for their efforts.

​

Here is this week’s list of the Big Ten Players of the Week.

​

Player of the Week 

Grace Heaney, Purdue 

RS-So. – OPP – Omaha, Neb. 

• Led Purdue to a 2-0 week with wins over RV Illinois (3-0) and No. 20 Minnesota (3-2) 
• Tallied 16 kills on a .536 hitting percentage (16-1-28) at Illinois, leading all players in the match in both kills and hitting percentage  
• Against No. 20 Minnesota, totaled a career-high 22 kills on a .364 clip, adding 11 digs for her third career double-double. Her 23 points were also a career-best  
• Went errorless on the attack in the first set against Minnesota on 11 swings  
• In set three against the Gophers, Heaney scored the final two points which sparked Purdue to the reverse sweep, scoring the go-ahead point for the 26-25 advantage and then was on the set-winning block to force a fourth set 
• Added five blocks on the week to help limit opponents to a .199 hitting percentage  
• Last Purdue Player of the Week: Kenna Wollard (Oct. 6, 2025) 

Defensive Player of the Week 

Hannah Whittingstall, Iowa 

Jr. - MB – San Antonio, Texas 

• Totaled 15 blocks to lead Iowa to a 2-0 week with wins over Michigan State (3-1) and Rutgers (3-2)  
• Averaged 1.67 blocks per set across the two matches, highlighted by her first career double-double against Rutgers with a team-leading 14 kills and a career-best tying 10 blocks 
• Led Iowa to a season-high 16.5 team blocks on Sunday against the Scarlet Knights  
• Tallied five blocks in Iowa’s four-set win over Michigan State 
• Was Iowa’s point leader in both matches (35.5), including a team-high 19 against Rutgers 
• Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: Bethany Yeager (Sept. 2, 2013) 

Setter of the Week

Taylor Anderson, Purdue 

Jr. - S – San Antonio, Texas 

• Led Purdue to a pair of wins vs. opponents ranked or receiving votes in the top 25 poll, including a 3-0 win at RV Illinois and a 3-2 reverse sweep vs. No. 20 Minnesota 
• Guided the Purdue offense to a combined .310 hitting percentage with 91 assists (11.38 per set) 
• Recorded a double-double with 32 assists and 11 digs at Illinois as Purdue hit .376 in the match, the third-highest team attack percentage this season 
• Recorded 59 assists against the Gophers as Purdue hit .269 in the match  
• As a team, Purdue’s 74 kills vs. Minnesota were a season-best and most by a Big Ten team last week  
• Collects second consecutive Setter of the Week honor 
• Last Purdue Setter of the Week: Taylor Anderson (Oct. 20, 2025) 

Freshman of the Week 

Reese Messer, USC 

S – Olathe, Kan.  

• Guided USC to a pair of wins over Maryland (3-0) and Washington (3-1) 
• Set USC to a season-high .427 hitting percentage with 35 assists, four digs, two blocks and a kill in a win over the Terrapins 
• Produced her eighth double-double with a career-high 48 assists and a career-high matching 16 digs in the win over the Huskies, adding three kills, three blocks and two service aces  
• Averaged 11.86 assists per set to go with 2.86 digs per set and 1.21 points per set 
• Last USC Freshman of the Week: Taylor Deckert (Oct. 20, 2025) 

​