Ball State outside repeats as National Freshman of Week

A freshman who led No. 11 Ball State to a comeback victory against a nationally ranked team is earning a national accolade.

Off the Block announced Monday that Ball State outside attacker Kaleb Jenness was selected as the Off the Block National Freshman of the Week.

Jenness led all players with a season-high 22 kills while hitting .341 and added four blocks as Ball State rallied from a one-game deficit beat No. 13 George Mason in five games on Sunday. The freshman now has seven consecutive matches with double-digit kills, including 13 kills in a three-game loss to McKendree on Thursday.

This is the second consecutive week that Jenness has earned National Freshman of the Week honors. He first received the award after having a combined 30 kills and 22 digs in victories against Harvard and Sacred Heart earlier this month.

The National Freshman of the Week is presented each week during the regular season to the NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball freshman who had the most outstanding performance. The winner is selected by the Off the Block staff and is announced every Monday during the regular season on the Off the Block website, offtheblockblog.com.

Along with the National Freshman of the Week, Off the Block will present the Freshmen All-American Team at the end of the regular season.

Off the Block is a national award winning website that launched in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball coverage.