JON HELGASON

UA junior outside hitter Shannon Torregrosa attempts a kill against UCLA Friday in McKale Center. Torregrosa set career highs in kills and kill percentage in UA's games against USC and the Bruins last week, and was named AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week.

Tuesday October 30, 2001

After a slow start this season, UA junior outside hitter Shannon Torregrosa picked up her play against USC and UCLA last week, setting career highs in kills and kill percentage.

After her consecutive strong outings, she was named the AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week, the first time a Wildcat player has ever earned such an honor.

The junior also became the 16th player in Wildcat history to be named Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Week.

Torregrosa tallied 35 kills on a .418 hitting percentage in the two wins over UA's conference rivals.

The statistic that most impressed UA head coach David Rubio was Torregrosa's attack errors -seven on 67 attempts.

"For any player to swing that many times and commit so few errors is fantastic," Rubio said. "I have always known how good she can be and the scary thing for opponents is that she definitely can get a lot better."

During UA's victory over the Trojans, Torregrosa accounted for 34 percent of the Wildcats' offense.

Three weeks ago, Rubio suspended Torregrosa and questioned her commitment to the UA volleyball program. However, junior middle blocker Stefani Saragosa said that she has always had faith in Torregrosa.

"I have always known that Shannon could play this way," Saragosa said. "As a team we have stuck by her and it has paid off. She brings so much to our team and she plays a huge role in our success."