PEORIA, Ill. -- Junior forward Jenny Van Kirk (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) has been named the Bradley Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week announced Wednesday, after helping the Bradley women's basketball team to a pair of Missouri Valley Conference victories last week.

Van Kirk averaged 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 73 percent from the field in a pair of BU wins. She was 5-for-5 from the field and led the team with 12 points and six rebounds in a 73-49 win against Southern Illinois. Van Kirk also added three assists and two steals against the Salukis. She capped the week with an eight-point, six-rebound effort against Evansville helping Bradley to a 65-54 win. Van Kirk matched a career high with four assists and also added one blocked shot and two steals in the come-from-behind win against the Purple Aces. She had seven assists and just one turnover for the week, as she helped Bradley extend its win streak to seven games. Enrolled in Bradley's Individualized Major Program, Van Kirk owns a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average.

Each week, a Bradley student-athlete is selected as the Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week. The individual chosen must be at least a sophomore in class standing and boast a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average, while displaying a level of athletic excellence.

Van Kirk and the Braves are off to the best overall start in program history with a 13-2 record and opened Missouri Valley Conference play with four consecutive victories for the first time. Bradley opens a three-game MVC road swing Saturday against Northern Iowa with a 3:05 p.m. game in Cedar Falls, Iowa.