The short version
- El Vocero reported that Decelise Champion was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday, her third consecutive honor
- El Nuevo Día reports the 16-year-old from Dorado averaged 5.15 kills and 5.93 points per set over the weekend matches
- Both outlets state Champion recorded 21 kills against USC with a .444 attack percentage and tied her career-high with eight blocks versus UCLA
- El Vocero and El Nuevo Día agree she has five weekly honors this season, tying Molly Haggerty's 2016 Wisconsin freshman mark
Third consecutive award
Puerto Rican volleyball player Decelise Champion was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. El Vocero reported It marks her third consecutive weekly honor and fifth overall in the first 10 weeks of her freshman season with the University of Wisconsin.
According to both outlets, Champion stood out against USC and UCLA over the weekend. She posted a season-high 21 kills against USC with a .444 hitting percentage, her eighth match with double-digit kills and third straight with at least 20. El Nuevo Día reported She averaged 5.15 kills and 5.93 points per set across the two matches while adding 2.00 digs and 1.43 blocks per set.
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Tying historical marks
El Vocero reported that Champion's eight blocks against UCLA matched her career high, first set in her collegiate debut against Texas A&M on Sept. 11. With five weekly honors, she equals the total received by Wisconsin's Molly Haggerty during her 2016 freshman campaign. The five selections rank as the fourth-most in Big Ten history; the record is nine, held by former Badger Dana Rettke.
El Nuevo Día noted that the Big Ten is one of the strongest conferences in NCAA volleyball, with six of the top 15 national teams. Wisconsin is ranked seventh nationally. Champion, who previously represented Puerto Rico in national team youth and senior competitions, plays alongside fellow Puerto Rican Grace López for the Badgers.
Where the sources differ
Both El Vocero and El Nuevo Día agree on the award announcement date, the three consecutive honors, the five total weekly awards this season, the weekend opponents, the statistical averages of 5.15 kills and 5.93 points per set, the 21 kills and .444 percentage against USC, and the eight blocks against UCLA. El Vocero provides more detail on historical comparisons, including ties to Molly Haggerty, Chloe Chicoine, Darcy Dorton, Deja McClendon and Dana Rettke, plus exact upcoming match times. El Nuevo Día adds Champion's age (16), height (6'6"), hometown (Dorado), her national-team background and the current national rankings of Wisconsin (7), Nebraska (1) and Penn State (11).
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state how many total matches Wisconsin has played, Champion's season-long statistical totals or rankings, whether she started every match, the final scores of the USC and UCLA games, or any comment from Champion, her coaches or Wisconsin on the streak of awards. Next steps such as whether she will earn a sixth honor are also unaddressed.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Decelise Champion iguala marca histórica de Wisconsin en el voleibol de la NCAA
- Reporting ¿Y va’ a seguir? Decelise Champion suma otro galardón en la NCAA
How we checked this
El Vocero and El Nuevo Día both covered the Big Ten award and weekend statistics. Historical rankings and exact upcoming game times rest solely on El Vocero while age, height, hometown and national-team background appear only in El Nuevo Día.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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