Player of the Week: October 21, 2013

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

Week #9:  Erika Gelzinyte

Columbus State University
Freshman, Outside Hitter
Home: Siauliai, Lithuania.
Reported by AVSR Global in 2011.
Erika Gelzinyte’s bio at the Columbus State web site.

Latest Action:

• Gelzinyte led Columbus to three more wins in the school’s first year of volleyball since 1981.
• CSU has stunned the Peach Belt Conference with a 15-7 record in its first season, 7-4 in league play. Gelzinyte, a freshman, already is among the league’s all-around stars.
• She scored 45 kills and 35 digs in last week’s wins, hitting at .243 efficiency.

Excerpt from 2011 AVSR Global report:

“Powerful, disciplined athlete and an aggressive slugger. … Combines natural strength with a terminator’s mentality plus controlled, varied shotmaking. Patience and vision might be her best talents. … Academically she’s likely to thrive at an American college.”

Other Notables Last Week:

Aleksandra Petronijevic

University of Memphis, Junior, Libero.
Home: Belgrade, Serbia.  Reported by AVSR Global in 2009.
The AAC league’s top backcourt whiz scored 78 digs in three matches, continuing to rewrite the Memphis record book.

Laine Cielena

Barry University, Sophomore, Middle Blocker.
Home: Krimulda, Latvia.  Reported by AVSR Global in 2011.
Propelled Barry over regional rival West Florida, scoring 17 kills at .424 efficiency.

Andrea Tauai

Hillsborough Community College (Florida), Sophomore, Outside Hitter.
Home: Greerton, New Zealand.  Reported by AVSR Global in 2011.
Led the nation’s fourth-ranked NJCAA team to five wins and a 30-2 record. She drilled 54 kills at .465 efficiency.