Fernanda Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week

University of Oklahoma senior libero and defensive specialist, Maria Fernanda, has been named the Co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the conference announced from its Irving, Texas, offices today. She joins Kansas' Brianne Riley as the two players honored for their defensive efforts.

The announcement marks the third time that Fernanda has been named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, as she previously took home the honor on Sept. 20, 2009, and most recently, Sept. 26, 2011.

The Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico native takes home the Sooners first weekly accolade of the 2012 season following her performance at the 2012 Ameritas Players Challenge, where she was one-of-two OU players selected to the All-Tournament Team, as she was joined by junior middle blocker Sallie McLaurin.

Fernanda totaled 59 digs in a matter of three matches to lift the Sooners to 8-3 on the year and collect a 2-1 record at the Challenge, which included a four-set victory over No. 19 Kentucky. In OU's first win of the season over a ranked opponent, Fernanda totaled 23 digs against the Wildcats. Just a day later, she was just one dig shy of matching her personal, and a program-best 25 digs in a three-set match after she totaled 24 in the sweep over Duquesne. The back-to-back 20-plus dig performances marked the fifth of her senior season, and 40^th of her career in the Crimson and Cream.

The Sooner veteran also pulled together a 23-dig performance in Oklahoma's win over Arkansas on Tuesday, Sept. 4, to post 83 total digs in a span of five days, four matches and 14 sets.

OU's career-digs leader, with 1,851 under her belt, Fernanda sits sixth all-time in the Big 12 record books in the respective category. She is the only active Big 12 player to rank in the top-10 of Big 12 career leaders in eight separate categories.

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