Martin, Northern Earn Big Ten Weekly Honors

Penn State's Kennedy Martin and Kendall Northern were recognized by the Big Ten after the Nittany Lions beat Ohio State and No. 11 Purdue.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Volleyball

Martin, Northern Earn Big Ten Weekly Honors

The Big Ten Conference named Penn State's Kennedy Martin Big Ten Player of the Week and Kendall Northern Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Penn State defeated Ohio State and No. 11 Purdue in the same weekend.

Why it matters

The honors recognize a stretch in which Penn State held both opponents to under a .200 hitting percentage. The recognition also marks a first conference honor for Northern and Martin's 10th career Player of the Week selection.

Martin recorded 24 kills and nine digs against Purdue and 18 kills, 13 digs, six blocks and four aces against Ohio State, her fourth double-double of the season. Northern averaged 1.63 blocks per set, recording seven blocks against Purdue and six against Ohio State, including two solo blocks.

The players

Kennedy Martin

Kennedy Martin is a veteran right-side hitter for Penn State from Fort Mill, South Carolina, who earned her 10th career Player of the Week honor.

Kendall Northern

Kendall Northern is a freshman middle blocker for Penn State who earned her first career Big Ten conference honor.

The details

Martin, a veteran right-side hitter from Fort Mill, South Carolina, led Penn State over Ohio State and Purdue. Northern, a freshman middle blocker, recorded her first career ace during the stretch.

The Big Ten announced the weekly volleyball honors on November 2, 2026.

Season Trajectory

The weekly honors arrive as Penn State builds its conference record against ranked opponents. Recognition of a freshman blocker alongside a veteran hitter reflects the two-way output that defined the weekend.

The honors add to Martin's and Northern's season résumés and show how a blocker and a hitter drove Penn State's wins. Fans following the Big Ten race can track how Penn State's defense and attack performs in the coming matches.

The takeaway

Strong defense and a balanced attack carried Penn State through two conference wins. Readers following Big Ten volleyball can watch whether these performances hold through the rest of the schedule.