File Photo Courtesy of Chris Permar

RICHMOND, Va. – University of Delaware freshman Elena Delle Donne became just the third Blue Hen in team history to earn back-to-back Rookie of the Week honors after receiving the accolade from the Colonial Athletic Association office this afternoon.

With the honor, Delle Donne joins Colleen Walsh and Karen Kunselman as the only Blue Hens to earn the award in consecutive weeks. Walsh, who holds the program’s all-time record for career kills, took home back-to-back CAA honors in 2004. Kunselman, who still holds the program’s career mark for blocks, won two straight North Atlantic Conference awards in 1993.

Last week, Delle Donne helped lead Delaware to a perfect 3-0 record after the team swept Delaware State before defeating Georgia State and UNC Wilmington in the team’s first conference action of the season. The three-match winning streak marked the first for the Hens since they took 11 straight prior to falling in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament to No. 17 St. John’s.

During the three matches, Delle Donne led the Hens in hitting percentage for the second straight week after posting a .339 mark. Her nine blocks were also the most on the team, while her 28 kills ranked third.

Against Delaware State, she tied for the team lead with two blocks, while she set a new career-high with 12 kills against Georgia State on Friday. During the match against the Panthers, she also had four assists and a block while hitting .276.

Her finest performance of the week came in the team’s three-set sweep of UNC Wilmington on Sunday. During the match, she recorded a team-high six blocks, marking the most by a Blue Hen in a three-set contest since Paige Erickson had eight against the Seahawks last season.

Delle Donne also had a strong day on the offensive side of the ball, posting 11 kills on just 18 swings for a match-high .444 hitting percentage. She also had a hand in each of the team’s three set-points, posting an assist on the first, a block on the second, and a kill to cap the victory in the third.

During the two conference matches last week, she led all players in the CAA with 27 points, while her 23 kills were tied for the most among league members. Her .340 combined hitting percentage against Georgia State and UNC Wilmington also was the seventh highest in the conference and the best among qualifying freshmen.

On the season, Delle Donne leads the team with four solo blocks, while she ranks second with 37 total stops. Her .211 hitting percentage is also the second-highest on the team and her 87 kills are the fourth most by a Blue Hen this season.

Delle Donne is the first freshman in the conference to earn Rookie of the Week honors twice this year, and she is the first to do it in consecutive weeks since William & Mary’s Cassie Crumal picked up the first two awards in 2007.

Along with Delle Donne’s two awards, fellow freshman Kim Stewart also earned Rookie of the Week laurels on September 8. The Blue Hens are the only team in the conference to boast two freshman award winners.

Delaware returns to action on Friday when the Hens host William & Mary at 7 p.m.