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Arslanbekova Named BIG EAST Player of the Week, Cards Move to No. 10, and Post RPI of 5
Nov. 12, 2012
Senior Lola Arslanbekov of Louisville was named BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Week for the final week of the 2012 regular season. It marks the fifth time the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year has earned the award this season. Freshman Monika Salkute of Syracuse was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for her performance in a 2-0 week. Arslanbekova led the Cardinals to consecutive wins over Marquette and Cincinnati. In the 3-0 sweep against the Golden Eagles on Nov. 9, she tallied 15 kills on 31 attempts for a .355 hitting percentage. She added two digs and two block assists in the match. On Nov. 11 against the Bearcats, the senior recorded 13 kills in three sets with seven digs and one solo block. In the two wins, she averaged 4.67 kills and 2.17 digs per set with a .290 hitting percentage. In other volleyball news, U of L moves to No. 10 in the AVCA rankings, up one spot from a week ago. The Cardinals are 25-3 and the BIG EAST Regular Season Champions, going into the tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Cardinals also moved to an RPI of 5, improving two spots from last week. The Cardinals have earned a spot in the BIG EAST Championship every year since joining the league in 2005 and has made it to the final in six of the last seven BIG EAST Championship matches. The 2012 regular season title marks the team's fourth in eight years. The Cardinals have also won five BIG EAST Championship titles; the third most of any BIG EAST program. They are led by the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, senior Lola Arslanbekova who leads the conference in kills (4.99 per set) and points (5.39 per set). Louisville will play the eight seed, St. John's (20-11, 7-8 BIG EAST), on Nov. 16. The Red Storm finished in a three-way tie with USF and Pittsburgh at 7-8 but lost to both teams in regular season play to earn the eighth seed. It is their first postseason appearance since 2008 when they reached the semifinals before losing to Notre Dame. The last time these two teams met in postseason action, St. John's swept Louisville in the 2007 final to hand the Cardinals their only loss in a BIG EAST final. It was also the Red Storm's first and only championship title in program history.
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