Howse, Kleckner Win Big Ten Weekly Honors
August 31, 2026 | Volleyball
SEATTLE – On the strength of a 3-0 opening weekend and home tournament win, Husky Volleyball picked up two out of the first four Big Ten Player of the Week awards of the season. Second-year Maija Howse was voted the Defensive Player of the Week, and Kylie Kleckner won Freshman of the Week.
UW won the Husky Invitational at Alaska Airlines Arena, with wins over UC Irvine, San Diego State, and IU Indianapolis. Kleckner was named the MVP of the tournament in her first week of college competition, and Howse was named to the All-Tournament Team, along with Simona Mateska.
Howse's award is the first Defensive POTW for UW since joining the conference. She led the Washington blocking effort with 1.50 blocks per set, setting a career-high twice with seven blocks against the Aztecs and Jaguars. That helped the Husky defense hold opponents to a combined .106 hitting percentage. Howse was strong attacking as well, setting a career-high with 14 kills in the win over IU Indy, hitting .367.
Kleckner, the newcomer from Trophy Club, Texas, started every match and played every set, and led Washington for the weekend with 41 kills, averaging 3.42 kills per set and hitting .269. She added four aces, 23 digs and 10 blocks for 4.17 points per set. Kleckner tallied 15 kills against UC Irvine and IU Indy, and 11 kills in the sweep against San Diego State. She is the first Freshman of the Week winner for UW since Julia Hunt on Sept. 16, 2024.
2026 Big Ten Players of the Week
Aug. 31
P: Marianna Singletary, Fifth-Year, UCLA
D: Maija Howse, So., WASH
S: Bergen Reilly, Sr., NEB
F: Kylie Kleckner, WASH
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @UWVolleyball on Instagram, X, and Facebook and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
UW won the Husky Invitational at Alaska Airlines Arena, with wins over UC Irvine, San Diego State, and IU Indianapolis. Kleckner was named the MVP of the tournament in her first week of college competition, and Howse was named to the All-Tournament Team, along with Simona Mateska.
Howse's award is the first Defensive POTW for UW since joining the conference. She led the Washington blocking effort with 1.50 blocks per set, setting a career-high twice with seven blocks against the Aztecs and Jaguars. That helped the Husky defense hold opponents to a combined .106 hitting percentage. Howse was strong attacking as well, setting a career-high with 14 kills in the win over IU Indy, hitting .367.
Kleckner, the newcomer from Trophy Club, Texas, started every match and played every set, and led Washington for the weekend with 41 kills, averaging 3.42 kills per set and hitting .269. She added four aces, 23 digs and 10 blocks for 4.17 points per set. Kleckner tallied 15 kills against UC Irvine and IU Indy, and 11 kills in the sweep against San Diego State. She is the first Freshman of the Week winner for UW since Julia Hunt on Sept. 16, 2024.
2026 Big Ten Players of the Week
Aug. 31
P: Marianna Singletary, Fifth-Year, UCLA
D: Maija Howse, So., WASH
S: Bergen Reilly, Sr., NEB
F: Kylie Kleckner, WASH
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @UWVolleyball on Instagram, X, and Facebook and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
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