[media-credit name=”Jill Peters” align=”aligncenter” width=”336″][/media-credit]A true team player and an extraordinary athlete, Wisconsin’s Lauren Carlini was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week after a stellar performance this past weekend against Indiana Friday and Purdue Saturday.

Recording back-to-back career bests in assists with an average of 12.78 assists per set over two matches, Carlini led all Big Ten setters on the weekend. Friday she put up a then career high 53 assists at Indiana before beating that with 62 assists at Purdue Saturday. This is Carlini’s first Big Ten weekly honor.

While she is happy with the accomplishment, Carlini said she would take this award away in a heartbeat if it could have given the Badgers two more points to win the Purdue game.

“It’s all about give and take,” she said.

This 6-2 freshman has continued to prove herself in the competitive Big Ten conference. Head coach Kelly Sheffield is proud of her accomplishment and how she is developing not only as a player but also a leader on the court.

“I think she is doing a really good job,” Sheffield said. “She is getting more confident and comfortable being able to direct her teammates and I think that’s a tough thing … She studies her craft and she works really, really hard. It’s paying off. I see her getting a lot stronger.”

Carlini jumped right into a leadership role being placed as starting setter at the beginning of the season. Since then, the 2012 National Gatorade Player of the Year has continued to prove herself and carry the team further each match.

“I have learned to kind of embrace [these] roles, it is something that I have kind of had to do over the years,” Carlini said. “I’ve usually been on teams who are older than me, so I have to learn how to play that role and kind of figure out my position on the court.”

Junior Courtney Thomas, a longtime teammate, played with Carlini at the same club and expressed her excitement to have this freshman join the team. Carlini looked at the other girls as mentors as they helped her transition into her leadership role. Thomas said Carlini is adjusting well to her leadership position and taking on an integral role within the team.

“She is really helping out our team a lot. She’s adjusted really, really well. I would never look at her and think she is a freshman, she is very confident and that is really key … She really knows how to communicate with us.”

Along with Big Ten Co-Freshman of the week, Carlini has a team-leading 14 double-doubles so far this season, making her the top freshman in the country in that category.

Carlini is already looking down the road to the Big Ten Conference. She wants to win.

“I just want to lead my team. We are going to take it one game at a time and that’s going to be a big thing for all of us. I hope to lead us as far as we can into that.”