FARMINGTON, Utah – Idaho State freshman libero Aspen Boice continues to make her mark on the Big Sky Conference, earning Co-Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after leading the Bengals through another undefeated week of conference play.
The honor is Boice's third Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week award in the last five weeks, setting a new program single-season record for most Big Sky Player of the Week honors.
This also marks Idaho State's 4th Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honor in the last 5 weeks, as Jaydin Watts also took home the award on Sept. 14th.
Boice helped the Bengals improve to 4-0 in Big Sky play, Idaho State's first 4-0 start to conference action since 2018. The Bengals swept reigning Big Sky regular-season champions Northern Arizona before battling back from a 2-0 deficit to complete a reverse sweep of Portland State.
At the center of Idaho State's defensive success was Boice.
The freshman libero totaled 47 digs across eight sets, averaging 5.88 digs per set. She also recorded 14 assists, one service ace and handled 59 serve-receive attempts with just two reception errors for a .966 reception percentage.
Boice accounted for nearly one-third of Idaho State's 149 digs during the two victories. The Bengals averaged 18.63 digs per set during the week while holding Northern Arizona and Portland State to a combined .143 hitting percentage.
Her performance adds to a defensive effort that has been among the upper echelon of college volleyball this season. Idaho State currently leads the entire NCAA with 17.95 digs per set and ranks eighth nationally with 1,023 total digs.
Boice has been at the heart of that effort from the libero position.
Against Northern Arizona, she controlled the back row with 21 digs in only three sets, averaging 7.00 digs per set, while adding six assists in Idaho State's straight-set victory over the defending Big Sky regular-season champions.
She followed with another standout performance against Portland State. After the Bengals dropped the opening two sets, Boice helped steady Idaho State's defense as the Bengals fought their way back into the match. She finished with 26 digs, averaging 5.20 per set, and added eight assists as Idaho State won three consecutive sets to complete the reverse sweep.
The two performances left Boice within striking distance of a double-double in both matches and continued a remarkable beginning to her collegiate career.
Through Idaho State's first four Big Sky matches, Boice has amassed 79 digs in 14 sets, averaging 5.64 digs per set, while helping the Bengals go a perfect 4-0 and win 12 of their first 14 conference sets.
Boice's latest honor is her second consecutive Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week award and her third in a five-week span. She first earned the award following the Boise State Classic before receiving it again after Idaho State opened conference play with consecutive road sweeps of Idaho and Eastern Washington.
The award also continues a historic stretch for Idaho State. The Bengals have now claimed Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors in four of the last five weeks, with Boice accounting for three and senior middle blocker Jaydin Watts earning the other following her performance at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic.
Those four selections ties Idaho State's single-season program record for Big Sky Player of the Week honors. The Bengals also earning four during the 1990, 2012, 2016, and 2022 seasons.
For Boice, three awards in her first collegiate season have quickly established the freshman as one of the conference's premier back-row defenders. For Idaho State, the recognition reflects a much larger defensive identity. With the Bengals sitting atop the NCAA at 17.95 digs per set, ranking eighth nationally with 1,023 total digs, and off to their first 4-0 Big Sky start since 2018, Idaho State's defense has become one of the defining pieces of its success.
