Last Week’s Stats: 5.94 points per set, 4.50 kills per set, .303 hitting percentage, 2.38 digs per set, 0.75 service aces per set, 1.25 blocks per set
LIU has been rolling as of late thanks to the stellar play of van Gisteren. The senior right-side hitter became the first NEC player this season to run it back as NEC/Molten Player of the Week after she put up big-time numbers against squads from the ACC and Big East. Averaging 5.94 points, 4.50 kills, 2.38 digs, 1.25 blocks and 0.75 service aces per set, van Gisteren led LIU to a perfect 2-0 mark at the Butler Invitational this past weekend. She was a workhorse on Saturday against Duke as she stuffed the stat sheet with 20 kills, seven digs, seven blocks and five service aces. Hitting .381, she propelled the Sharks past the Dukes in a five-set thriller for their second-straight win against a Power 4 opponent. With that triumph, the Sharks became the first NEC team to take down two Power 4 schools in the same season since LIU turned the trick in 2014. Van Gisteren picked up right where she left off on Sunday against host-team Butler. Posting a double-double with 16 kills and 12 digs while adding three more rejections to her count, she accounted for four of her team’s final five points to lead the Sharks to the straight-set win, which extended their winning streak to three. Van Gisteren, who ranks third in the league in kills per set (3.66), second in points per set (4.51), fourth in service aces per set (0.37), eighth in blocks per set (0.77) and 10th in digs per set (2.51) now has five NEC/Molten Player of the Week awards to her name.