Player of the Week: November 29, 2021
Each week of the spring and fall seasons, one player who was originally reported as a recruit by AVSR Global is named Player of the Week for an exceptional performance.
Fall Week #11: Natali Petrova
West Virginia University.
Big 12 Conference.
NCAA Division I.
Senior. 6'2" Outside Hitter.
First reported by AVSR Global in 2017.
Home: Sofia, Bulgaria.
See Petrova’s bio at the WVU website.
Last Week:
• Petrova paced West Virginia to two wins at Texas Christian University and a bid to the NCAA Championship tournament.
• It’s the first time WVU has qualified for the NCAA tourney. The Mountaineers will face Illinois in the first round this week.
• Petrova has been WVU’s top passer-hitter all season. In last week’s victories at TCU she scored 16 kills, 24 digs and five ace serves.
• West Virginia placed third in the Big 12 Conference this year, its best finish since it joined the league in 2012.
• This is Petrova’s second year at WVU. She arrived in Morgantown after a year at Missouri State University and a year at Tyler Junior College.
• In Bulgaria Petrova played for CSKA Sofia, a multi-sport club founded in 1948. She trained with Bulgaria’s national team program.
• Petrova’s mother was a setter for CSKA and Bulgaria’s national team.
Excerpt from 2017 AVSR Global report:
“A rangy athlete, a master of the game and a natural winner. … Speedy and spontaneous. … Best as a passer-hitter in a fast offense. … Plans to play professionally after graduating from an American college.”