RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — The Great American Conference (GAC) has announced its weekly individual honors on Monday, December 22. Being named the league's Defensive Player of the Week is Spanish native Elena Lijo-Rodriguez. 

The Spaniard claims her first GAC weekly award this season and her second in her career, now a two-time GAC Defensive Player of the Week in her time at Southern Arkansas University. 

Elena well-earned this accomplishment after leading the Muleriders in rebounds for the week with 23 boards, averaging 7.7 per game, along with her seven blocks and one steal. While Lijo-Rodriguez did play in three games this week, which is one more than most teams in the GAC partook in, she only recorded eight minutes in Southern Arkansas' road bout with Arkansas Tech. While not contributing to her Defensive Player of the Week honor, Elena was also second on the team in scoring with 29 points, averaging 9.7 per game. 

Lijo-Rodriguez's individual performances against Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist led her to claim this honor, as she tallied her seven blocks against the Arkadelphia adversaries, with four against HSU and three against OUA. The Spaniard nearly recorded back-to-back double-doubles in those affairs, as she tallied 11 rebounds and 14 points versus the Reddies and nine rebounds and 10 points versus the Tigers. 

Up Next

Elena Lijo-Rodriguez and the Muleriders will continue action after their two-week holiday break, as SAU will resume the season on the road at Searcy, Arkansas, against Harding on January 3 at 3:00 PM. 

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