FARMINGTON, Utah — Ellie Snook – last year's Big Sky Libero of the Year – continues to find a way to top herself. The junior totaled 53 digs over the Vikings' road trip to Weber State and Idaho State last weekend. That gave her an average of 6.63 digs per set between the two matches, and earned her Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors Monday for the second time this season.
 
Snook totaled 25 digs against defending-champion Weber State last Thursday, then followed that up with 28 against Idaho State last Saturday. Snook has recorded at least 25 digs in the Vikings' last four matches, while she's had at least 20 digs in seven of the team's 13 matches this season.
 
Snook was at her best Saturday in the Vikings' four-set, comeback win over the Bengals. Snook had 20 digs in the opening two sets of the match, before finishing with 28 to go with seven assists. Snook's play helped the Viking defense find its way into the match. After the Bengals hit .302 with 15 kills in the opening frame, the Vikings held them to .038 and .029 in the second and third sets, as they mounted their comeback.
 
The improved defense helped the Vikings overcome their opening-set loss, something the Vikings have done in four of their seven wins this season.
 
Snook now has a comically large lead in digs per set within the Big Sky Conference. She upped her conference-leading average to 5.45 digs per set after last weekend, which is more than a dig and a half more per set than the No. 2-ranked player in the conference, Montana's Sarina Moreno, at 3.91. Snook also moved up to 12th in the NCAA for digs per set this season after last weekend.
 
Snook and the Vikings remain on the road this week, as they face Idaho and Eastern Washington on back-to-back days. The Vikings start the weekend at Idaho Thursday, before traveling to Eastern Washington for a match Friday. Both matches start at 6 p.m. (PT).