Player of the Week: November 8, 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 #8: Francesca Alupei

Univ. of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Pac-12 Conference.

NCAA Division I.

Freshman. 6'3" Middle Blocker.

Reported by AVSR Global to coaches in 2019.

Home: Bucharest, Romania.

See Alupei’s bio at the UCLA website.

Last Week:

• Alupei, the Pac-12’s top freshman middle blocker, posted 10 blocks as first-place UCLA won at Utah 3-2 and Colorado 3-0.
• UCLA, now 19-3, is having its best season since it won the national title in 2011. The Bruins have won seven national championships.
• Alupei ranks eighth in the Pac-12 with 1.07 blocks per set, best among the league’s freshmen. She is hitting at .316 efficiency.
• At age 13 Alupei started 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 is a two-time world champion in rowing and a 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.”