MELBOURNE, Fla. – Two Nova Southeastern University student-athletes were chosen as their respective sport’s Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday.
Volleyball player Megan Burns (Fr., Sylvania, Ohio) earned the first SSC Defensive Player of the Week honor for volleyball of the 2015-16 season for her performance in the Sharks’ 2-1 week Oct. 26-Nov. 1, while women’s soccer midfielder Julia Nytorp (Sr., Sjalevad, Sweden) earned her first Women’s Offensive Player of the Week honor this season.
After moving into the starting libero role early last week, Burns totaled 83 digs in three matches and averaged 6.38 digs per set. In each of her three matches this week, she also set and surpassed career-highs in each. Against Barry, she surpassed her previous career-high of 18 digs, which was set earlier this season, by recording 19 in a 3-1 loss. In a 3-2 upset over No. 17 Florida Southern, she set a new career-best with 31 digs, becoming the first freshman in NSU history to surpass the 30-dig mark in a single match. In the Sharks’ 3-1 win over Florida Tech, she eclipsed her career-best yet again, finishing with 33 digs and became the first NSU player since 2001 to collect 30-plus digs in consecutive matches. She is the only NSU player to collect more than 25 digs in a single match this season, while leading the Sharks to third place in the SSC standings with a 16-9 overall, 7-5 record in SSC play.
Nytorp earned her first SSC Offensive Player of the Week honor following a performance that helped the Sharks clinch a first round bye in the SSC tournament. Nytorp’s goal, 52 seconds into overtime, gave the Sharks a 1-0 victory over Saint Leo on Thursday, clinching the No. 2 seed in the SSC Championship for the team. After a scoreless full regulation, Nytorp’s successful shot jumped the Sharks from fifth in the standings to second and earned the squad the conference’s second first-round bye.
Women’s volleyball returns to action this Tuesday on the road against No. 14 Palm Beach Atlantic at 7 p.m., while the women’s soccer team will face the winner of the SSC Championship quarterfinals between Tampa and Saint Leo on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in Miami Shores, Fla.