Gophers volleyball middle blocker Phoebe Awoleye won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 14 when she tallied 24 total blocks over the two matches against Indiana and Maryland.
The announcement from the Big Ten did not surprise head coach Keegan Cook.
“We’re so used to it,” Cook said. “We have to face off against her every day in practice.”
Awoleye transferred to the Gophers in 2023 from the University of Loyola Marymount. Her original plan was to play one season and leave the roster, but a decision she said she did not make lightly had her return to the maroon and gold for another year.
“It was a lot of talking to my family and my friends,” Awoleye said. “Just moments to myself just to decide if this is what I really want.”
Awoleye led the team in 2023 with 1.34 blocks per set. However, she felt like how the Gophers season ended last year was not the way she wanted to go out.
This season Awoleye ranks sixth in the nation in blocks per set (1.57). She leads the Gophers with 112 blocks this season.
Cook recognized Awoleye as someone who flies under the radar. He said Awoleye had not been fully healthy in a while and that it was nice to see her get recognition for her hard work.
Awoleye set an NCAA collegiate best and tied the record for most blocks in a match at Maturi Pavilion after tallying 14 against Maryland on Oct. 12.
“I feel like I’ve been through a lot, a couple of programs, been bouncing around,” Awoleye said. “I felt like coming back was the way to do it.”
Before Awoleye came to the Gophers, she spent a year at Loyola Marymount and two years prior at the University of Georgia.
Awoleye said Minnesota was the first school she visited when she was in the transfer portal. After coming to campus and meeting the team and staff, she felt a connection with the school.
She canceled the rest of her visits and committed two days later.
Awoleye is leading on the defensive end for the Gophers. She helped the Gophers to be ranked second in the Big Ten in blocks per set (2.95).
Awoleye recorded five or more blocks in 12 matches this season and has 10 solo blocks this season.
Her teammate and fellow fifth-year, Melani Shaffmaster said Awoleye is a high IQ player. Shaffmaster added that she worked a lot with the coaches to improve this season.
“She’s just an amazing athlete,” Shaffmaster said. “She jumps high, she runs fast.”
Awoleye said she feels more confident and comfortable in her second season with the Gophers. She added that last year was a different transition of a season for her and now in her second year she has more time to get into a rhythm.
“Our foreign trip was really good,” Awoleye said. “Everything has just fallen into place finally.”
Awoleye said that she wants to continue to work on her offensive game. With the season over halfway complete, she knows what she needs to do before the postseason.
The Gophers have three more games against ranked opponents No. 12 Oregon, No. 2 Nebraska and No. 3 Wisconsin, who they previously beat at home on Sept. 25, with the only home game in the three against Oregon on Nov. 9.