Ball State’s Kate Endress has picked up right where she left off last year.

Endress finished last season on the All-MAC first team and has been named the MAC Player of the Week a league-high three times this season.

BSU ranks first in the MAC West with a record of 6-2 in conference play.

The senior forward is leading the MAC with 18.2 points per game and is 10th in rebounding, and is the Northern Star’s Mid-season MAC Player of the Year.

“Endress has been the most consistent player in the MAC so far this season,” NIU coach Carol Hammerle said. “It seems like every game I see her she puts up at least 20 points.”

Endress also ranks in the top 15 in the MAC in field-goal percentage (.386), free-throw percentage (.861) and three-point percentage (.443).

“[Endress] can nail the three and she works hard on the glass,” Hammerle said. “In my opinion she is the best player in the conference right now.”

Ball State is in the midst of a season-high five-game win streak and the Evansville, Ind. native has averaged 23 points and 7.8 rebounds during that span.

The win streak also includes a victory over NIU on Jan. 19 with Endress scoring a team-high 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting and six rebounds.

“Kate had another great week to lead us into first place in the MAC West Division,” said BSU head coach Tracy Roller in a press release. “Although it is very early in the race for the regular season championship, Kate has taken us on her shoulders and the team is following her lead. She is playing with a sense of urgency that competitive seniors face this time of the year. Right now, she and the team are very fun to watch.”