ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Drake University's Gillian Gergen (Janesville, Iowa) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Freshman of the Week, the league announced Monday, Oct. 16.
 
Gergen had 11 total blocks over the weekend to lead the Bulldogs to split in its matches against MVC leader Missouri State and SIU. She also added 16 kills on 41 attempts and seven digs in the two matches.
 
In the five-set loss to Missouri State, she nearly recorded a double-double with a career-high 10 kills on 25 attempts (.360) and a career-high eight blocks. That performance was followed by six kills on 16 attempts with a team-high three blocks in four sets against SIU.
 
Against Missouri State, she helped hold off the Bears with an impressive fourth set that included four kills on 10 attempts and five blocks to force a fifth set. Three of those blocks helped stave off set point in the set and she clinched the set with a kill to give Drake a 32-30 win and force a fifth set.
 
Gergen is currently leading the MVC in blocks in conference games with 1.33 per set and has had three or more blocks in every MVC match this season.
 
The weekly MVC honor marks the fourth for the Bulldogs this season and second Freshman of the Week honor. Previously, Emily Plock (Altoona, Iowa) was named the Freshman of the Week (Aug. 28.), Kyla Inderski (Urbandale, Iowa) the Player of the Week (Oct. 2) and Kylee Macke (Ankeny, Iowa) the Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 9).
 
Gergen and the Bulldogs return to action Tuesday evening with a contest at No. 25 UNI. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the McLeod Center.