Eleah Parker and Chelsea Kibler pick up weekly awards after strong performances

This week, two Penn athletes were honored as Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week and Big 5 Co-Player of the Week. The athletes in question – senior defender Chelsea Kibler of Penn women’s lacrosse and junior center Eleah Parker from women’s basketball – each played important roles in their team's victories this weekend. 

In women’s lacrosse 15-12 win over Johns Hopkins, Kibler proved herself to be a formidable defender with a career-high of 10 draws. Alone, she had almost as many draws as the entire opposing team, which only racked up 11.

She was a crucial part of the contest, the team's home opener this season, proving unshakeable, even when it looked like Hopkins might come back after falling behind early. As the sixth-ranked lacrosse defender in the country and captain of her team, Kibler has a strong record and will be difficult to replace when she graduates later this spring.

Overall, the Quakers are ranked No. 11 in the country and are riding a two-game winning streak to kick off the season. The team will hope to continue its strong start to the season Wednesday night when Rutgers visits Penn Park.

Reliability seemed to be the theme for this week’s awards as Parker was named Big 5 Co-Player of the Week. After leading Penn to their sixth and seventh consecutive victories this season, against Dartmouth and Harvard, Parker is holding on to her reputation as the backbone of the team.

Her two double-doubles this weekend were crucial in the pair of wins. By the end of the Quakers' 67-31 win over Dartmouth, she had racked up 24 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. In the Harvard win, Parker had an even 10 points and 10 boards.

Averaging 14.7 points per game this season, Parker has been a key three-year contributor for the Red and Blue, who sit at second place in the Ivy League standings and are on the verge of clinching a spot in Ivy Madness.