Crystal Hudson Named SEC Player of the Week
10/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA ?? Crystal Hudson, a middle blocker on the University of Alabama volleyball team, has been named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week for her performances over the week ending Oct. 15. Hudson helped the Tide to wins over Kentucky and No. 18 Tennessee at home over the weekend, extending the team’s league winning streak to six matches.
“Crystal had a phenomenal weekend,” Tide head coach Judy Green said. “She did a lot of different things well for us. Our game plan was different for Kentucky than it was against Tennessee, and she was successful in both matches. Crystal is an elite athlete who has worked hard to become a very good volleyball player. This award is a tremendous honor for our program and it was very well deserved.”
Hudson pounded 14 kills on 17 attempts against Kentucky on Friday, Oct. 13, and ended the match without a single attack error. Her .824 hitting percentage was her highest attack percentage of the season, helping her team earn a 3-0 sweep over the Wildcats.
Against the No. 18 Lady Vols, Hudson tallied 22 kills to tie for match-high honors with teammate Bridget Fuentez, leading the Tide to its second victory over a ranked team in as many tries this season. Hudson hit .444 on 36 attack attempts, the third-highest amount of attempts she has posted in 2006.
The redshirt junior from Hueytown becomes the second Tide player to earn SEC honors. Teammate Amy Pauly has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week twice this season. It is the second time in her career that Hudson has been named player of the week after she earned the honor for the week of Oct. 10, 2005.
Alabama travels to Oxford, Miss., to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Friday, Oct. 20 and faces Mississippi State in another SEC road match on Sunday, Oct. 22.
