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OGDEN, Utah (September 18, 2017) - North Dakota’s Tamara Merseli was named this week’s #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week, while Portland State’s Tasha Bojanic picked up the #BigSkyVB Defensive Player of the Week honor. Ironically enough, both honorees hail from Belgrade, Serbia.
Merseli posted a season-high 19 kills, helping UND to its fourth five-set win of the season in a thrilling 3-2 win over IUPUI Saturday. North Dakota went 2-1 on the week at the Green Bay Country Inn and Suites Invitational, improving to 15-2 overall this season.
The senior notched a pair of double-doubles this week to give her eight this season and 20 in her UND career. Her first this week came against the host Green Bay Phoenix, where she notched 16 kills and 12 digs in a sweep. Saturday, she recorded a team-high 19 kills and added 13 digs in the five-set win over IUPUI. In that match, she would kill five balls in the deciding set without an error on just eight swings on her way to all-tournament team honors.
Senior defensive specialist/libero Tasha Bojanic led Portland State to three-consecutive sweeps to win the Nike Invitational in Portland, Ore. The Vikings defeated the University of Portland, CSUN, and Texas-El Paso all in straight sets.
Bojanic anchored the back row for the Vikings with 6.11 digs per set (55 digs over nine sets). She also led the team with six service aces over the three matches. She was named to the Nike Invitational All-Tournament team for her efforts.
Bojanic opened the week with 19 digs in a three-set win over cross-town rival Portland. The 19 digs were the most by a Viking this season for a three-set match. She also added six assists and a service ace against the Pilots.
She followed that performance with 17 digs, three assists, and an ace in a sweep of CSUN. She then tallied a match-high 19 digs, again the most by a Viking in a three-set match, with two assists and a team-high four service aces.
Bojanic opened the match against UTEP with nine digs and an ace in the opening frame. She added five digs in each of the next two sets along with a pair of aces in the third set.
For the year, Bojanic leads the team with 3.52 digs per set. She is also second on the team with 11 service aces.
Other Off. Nominees: Kaela Straw - Idaho; Chloe Hirst - Idaho State; Kortney Lockey - Northern Colorado; Katy Wilson - Portland State; Mikaela Nocetti - Sacramento State; MaCail Evans - Southern Utah; Megan Gneiting - Weber State.
Other Def. Nominees: Turin Crawford - Idaho; Haylie Keck - Idaho State; Taylor Els - Northern Colorado; Teodora Tepevac - North Dakota; Brigitte Murdock - Sacramento State; Elisa Lago - Southern Utah; Hannah Hill - Weber State
2017 Offensive Players of the Week
August 28 - Lana Brown Sacramento State
Sept. 4 - Caitlin Bettenay, Portland State
Sept. 11 - Kennedy Kurtz, Sacramento State
Sept. 18 - Tamara Merseli, North Dakota
2017 Defensive Players of the Week
August 28 - Faith Dooley, North Dakota
Sept. 4 - Mikaelyn Sych, Portland State/Alivia Fraase, North Dakota
Sept. 11 - Brigitte Murdock, Sacramento State
Sept. 18 - Tasha Bojanic, Portland State