MALIBU, Calif. ­Â— Senior outside hitter Julie Rubenstein of the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team has been named the West Coast Conference’s first Player of the Week for the 2008 season, the league office announced today.

 

Rubenstein (Camarillo, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) was named tournament MVP of the Radisson Suites Buena Park Volleyball Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton, over the season-opening weekend. The Waves won all three matches (and are off to their first 3-0 start since the 2001 season), beating UNC Greensboro, Delaware and the host Titans, and didn’t drop a set in capturing the championship.

 

Rubenstein averaged 5.11 kills (which ranks her #1 in the WCC) in nine sets. She hit .418 (46-8-91) and also had 52.0 points (5.78), 17 digs (1.89), four aces (0.44) and three blocks (0.33). Her best match came against Delaware, a 2007 NCAA Tournament team, when she had 21 kills and a .514 hitting percentage (21-3-35). She had 46 of Pepperdine’s 131 kills (35%) over the weekend, and 39 of 92 (42%) during Saturday’s two matches.

 

The Waves are back on the court next weekend (Sept. 5-7) as they travel to Corvallis, Ore., for the Oregon State Asics Classic. Pepperdine will face Colorado State, Pacific and the host Beavers.