Player of the Week: December 6, 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 #12: Francesca Alupei

Univ. of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Pac-12 Conference.

NCAA Division I.

Freshman. 6'3" Middle Blocker.

First reported by AVSR Global in 2019.

Home: Bucharest Romania.

See Alupei’s bio at the UCLA website.

Last Week:

• Alupei had a big blocking weekend in the NCAA Championship tourney as UCLA ousted Fairfield 3-0 and Central Florida 3-2.
• Alupei posted a team-high 14 blocks while hitting at .313 efficiency.
• UCLA is in the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. The Bruins will face Wisconsin this week in a regional semifinal in Madison.
• Alupei is the top freshman middle in the Pac-12 this year. She ranks seventh in the league with 1.07 blocks per set, best of the Bruins.
• UCLA, now 25-5, is having its best season since it won the national title in 2011. The Bruins have won seven national championships.
• At age 13 Alupei began playing in Romania’s top women’s league while also competing at the junior level.
• Alupei’s mother won two Olympic gold medals in rowing. Her father, also a rower, is a two-time world champion and two-time Olympian.

Excerpt from 2019 AVSR Global report:

“Francesca is one of Europe’s top middles at her age, and she has a high ceiling for more development. … Can be a freshman starter for a top-20 team. … Family of Olympic and world champions in rowing.”