Player of the Week:  December 8, 2014

Each week during the indoor and sand seasons, one player originally reported as a recruit by AVSR Global is named Player of the Week for an exceptional performance.

2014 Week #15:  Anete Brinke

Long Beach State University
Reported to subscribers in 2013 by AVSR Global.
Home:  Riga, Latvia.
Freshman, 6'2" Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker.
See Anete Brinke’s bio at the Long Beach State website.

Last Week’s Action:

• Brinke closed her sharp first season as a passer-hitter for 15th-ranked Long Beach State.  The 49ers defeated San Diego to open the NCAA tourney, then fell at UCLA.
• Long Beach was perfect this season in the Big West Conference, rolling to a 16-0 record.  The team was 27-5 overall.  Brinke broke into the starting lineup in October.
• Brinke will shift to the sand courts now.  She’s a veteran beach player, expected to be a leader of Long Beach’s sand team.  The 49ers won the sand national championship in 2013.

Excerpt from 2013 AVSR Global report:

“A swift, springy athlete and a perceptive, low-error player.  Comfortable and disciplined at an elite level of training and competition. … She’s among Europe’s top junior beach players.  As a collegiate sand player she can be among the nation’s best.”

Other Notables

Milica Stamenic

Southern Wesleyan University, Sophomore, 5'7" Libero.
Reported to subscribers in 2012 by AVSR Global.
Home:  Belgrade, Serbia.
Last Week:  Stamenic and Southern Wesleyan placed third in the National Christian College Athletic Association championship.  SWU closed the season with a 27-10 record.

Stacey Niao

Illinois State University, Senior, 5'11" Outside Hitter.
Reported to subscribers in 2010 by AVSR Global.
Home:  Kawerau, New Zealand.
Last Week:  Niao scored big in the fifth set to key a first-round NCAA victory over Marquette.  Illinois State’s best season since 1992 ended with a loss at Wisconsin.