Room For One More? 2010 Big Ten Players Who Missed the List


OK, we understand that the 2010 All-Big Ten Women’s Volleyball 1st Team was the largest ever (or as far back as we checked, which was 2000 — see the table below), and that the total of 21 honorees tied last year’s total for the largest during that period. So, you might well ask, why more?

To which we have two answers. First, because the Big Ten is computationally challenged, and it’s really the Big 11, we like the number 22, which theoretically would have given each school the chance to place two players on the squad. Would we go for 24 once Nebraska joins? Hide your eyes, purists, the answer is “Absolutely!”

Second (but equally important), it’s the off-season! We can either speculate about the future, or debate the past. For now, we’re going with door number 2.

So this post looks at six players who performed at a very high level in 2010, but weren’t named to the All-Big Ten Team (though Jennifer Bonilla, Jennifer Cross, and Ashley Wittman were named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team).  

We’ve included six tables.  The first looks at the breakdown of the All-Big Ten Teams from 2000 to 2010 by position.  The links are to press releases discussing the awards for each year.   

The next four tables include, for each of four positions — Middle Blocker, Outside Hitter, Setter, and Libero — the statistics (Big Ten matches only) for the All Big-Ten team honorees at the position and for any of our candidates who played that position.  (If a player was listed at multiple positions — like Tori Dixon, who was listed as OH/MH/Opp — we included them in the first position in their list.)  

Players listed in ALL CAPS were unanimous selections.

These tables are sortable — click on the arrows at the top of each column to re-order the rows.   Click on the players’ names to go to their player bio or an article about them.

The last table includes statistics for all 21 players named to the All-Big Ten Team, plus our six candidates.  

Oh, and we don’t look at this as a zero-sum game.  We aren’t knocking anyone who was named to the team.  We’re exhibiting a math bias towards addition over subtraction.

All-Big Ten Teams - 2000 to 2010

YearTotal All-Big Ten
(1st Team in Parenthesis)
Outside HittersMiddle BlockersRightside/OppositeSettersLiberos
2010 All-Big Ten21 (15)6 (4)8 (5)2 (2)3 (3)2 (1)
2009 All-Big Ten)21 (14)7 (5)7 (5)2 (1)3 (3)2 (0)
2008 All-Big Ten18 (13)7 (5)7 (5)0 2 (2)2 (1)
2007 All-Big Ten17 (12)7 (5)6 (5)1 (0)2 (2)1 (0)
2006 All-Big Ten19 (14)7 (5)8 (5)1 (1)2 (2)1 (1)
2005 All-Big Ten16 (13)3 (2)7 (6)0 3 (3)3 (2)
2004 All-Big Ten17 (13)7 (5)3 (2)0 5 (4)2 (2)
2003 All-Big Ten 19 (12)2 (2)8 (4)4 (3)4 (2)1 (1)
2002 All-Big Ten18 (12)3 (3)8 (5)1 (1)4 (2)2 (1)
2001 All-Big Ten18 (12)11 (6)3 (3)0 4 (3)n/a
2000 All-Big Ten19 (13)5 (4)7 (4)2 (1)5 (4)n/a

2010 All-Big Ten: Room for One More Middle Blocker?

All Big Ten Award
(# Years - All-Big Ten 1st Team)
Name TeamClassPositionHeightKills Per SetAttack
Percentage
Blocks Per Set
1st Team (3)ASHLEY BENSON
Indiana Sr.MB6-33.37.3591.49
1st Team (3)LAUREN GIBBEMEYERMinnesota Sr.MH6-23.35.3721.40
1st Team (3)ARIELLE WILSON
Penn State Sr.MH6-32.76.4121.00
1st Team (1)JENILEE RATHJEMichigan State Jr. (RS)MB5-112.96.3220.71
1st Team (2)SABEL MOFFETT
Northwestern Sr. (Gr.)MB6-02.82.3171.27
Honorable MentionKelli Barhorst
Ohio State Jr.MH6-22.14.2921.00
Honorable MentionNaomi JohnsonNorthwestern Sr.MB6-32.64.2611.10
Honorable MentionAlexis MitchellWisconsinSo.MH6-02.21.2420.60
Not SelectedJohanna BangertIllinois Sr.MH6-11.66.3361.26
Not SelectedJennifer Cross
Michigan Fr. MH6-42.43.3170.86

2010 All-Big Ten: Room for One More Outside Hitter?

All Big Ten Award
(# Years - All-Big Ten 1st Team)
Name TeamClassPositionHeightKills Per SetAttack
Percentage
Service Aces
Per Set
Blocks Per SetDigs Per Set
1st Team (1)ALEX HUNT
Michigan Jr.OH6-04.41.2190.290.292.07
1st Team (2)Katie Dull
Ohio State Sr.OH5-103.46.2260.160.551.69
1st Team (1)Deja McClendonPenn State Fr.OH6-13.39.3100.130.611.90
1st Team (1)Colleen Ward
Illinois Jr.OH6-23.68.2090.140.562.44
Honorable MentionTori DixonMinnesota Fr.OH/MH6-32.47.2690.120.690.90
Honorable MentionJordan Haverly
Indiana So.OH6-13.74.1750.150.491.96
Not SelectedAriel TurnerPurdue So.OH6-13.18.1770.130.541.63
Not SelectedAshley WittmanMinnesota Fr.OH6-03.14.1850.140.722.85

2010 All-Big Ten: Room for One More Setter?

All Big Ten Award
(# Years - All-Big Ten 1st Team)
Name TeamClassPositionHeightKills Per SetAttack
Percentage
Service Aces
Per Set
Blocks Per SetDigs Per SetAssists Per Set
1st Team (3)LEXI ZIMMERMAN
Michigan Sr.S5-101.41.2280.120.362.8911.15
1st Team (1)JACLYN HARTPurdue Sr.S6-11.40.3840.030.761.7410.41
1st Team (2)Hillary Haen
Illinois Sr.S5-100.44.3550.110.512.2210.84
Not SelectedKristin CarpenterPenn State So.S5-60.64.3270.100.372.2712.09

2010 All-Big Ten: Room for One More Libero?

All Big Ten Award
(# Years - All-Big Ten 1st Team)
Name TeamClassPositionHeightService Aces
Per Set
Digs Per SetAssists Per Set
1st Team (1)Jessica GranquistMinnesota Jr.L5-80.065.220.56
Honorable MentionAlyssa D'Errico
Penn State Sr.L5-90.234.130.29
Not SelectedJennifer Bonilla Illinois Fr.L5-90.224.880.91

2010 All-Big Ten (Plus Six More)

All Big Ten Award
(# Years - All-Big Ten 1st Team)
Name TeamClassPositionHeightKills Per SetAttack
Percentage
Service Aces
Per Set
Blocks Per SetDigs Per SetAssists Per Set
1st Team (2)BLAIR BROWNPenn State Sr.Opp/RS6-54.43.3150.140.862.34n/a
1st Team (3)ASHLEY BENSON
Indiana Sr.MB6-33.37.3590.141.49n/an/a
1st Team (3)LAUREN GIBBEMEYERMinnesota Sr.MH6-23.35.3720.051.40n/an/a
1st Team (3)ARIELLE WILSON
Penn State Sr.MH6-32.76.4120.171.00n/an/a
1st Team (1)JENILEE RATHJEMichigan State Jr. (RS)MB5-112.96.3220.100.710.89n/a
1st Team (2)SABEL MOFFETT
Northwestern Sr. (Gr.)MB6-02.82.3170.001.27n/an/a
1st Team (1)ALEX HUNT
Michigan Jr.OH6-04.41.2190.290.292.07n/a
1st Team (3)LEXI ZIMMERMAN
Michigan Sr.S5-101.41.2280.120.362.8911.15
1st Team (1)JACLYN HARTPurdue Sr.S6-11.40.3840.030.761.7410.41
1st Team (2)Katie Dull
Ohio State Sr.OH5-103.46.2260.160.551.69n/a
1st Team (1)Deja McClendonPenn State Fr.OH6-13.39.3100.130.611.90n/a
1st Team (1)Colleen Ward
Illinois Jr.OH6-23.68.2090.140.562.44n/a
1st Team (1)Michelle Bartsch
Illinois Jr.Opp/RS6-33.71.1920.160.812.20n/a
1st Team (2)Hillary Haen
Illinois Sr.S5-100.44.3550.110.512.2210.84
1st Team (1)Jessica GranquistMinnesota Jr.L5-8n/an/a0.06n/a5.220.56
Honorable MentionTori DixonMinnesota Fr.OH/MH6-32.47.2690.120.690.90n/a
Honorable MentionJordan Haverly
Indiana So.OH6-13.74.1750.150.491.96n/a
Honorable MentionKelli Barhorst
Ohio State Jr.MH6-22.14.2920.041.00n/an/a
Honorable MentionNaomi JohnsonNorthwestern Sr.MB6-32.64.2610.221.10n/an/a
Honorable MentionAlexis MitchellWisconsinSo.MH6-02.21.2420.070.60n/an/a
Honorable MentionAlyssa D'Errico
Penn State Sr.L5-9n/an/a0.23n/a4.13n/a
Not SelectedJohanna BangertIllinois Sr.MH6-11.66.3360.001.26n/an/a
Not SelectedJennifer Bonilla Illinois Fr.L5-9n/an/a0.22n/a4.880.91
Not SelectedKristin CarpenterPenn State So.S5-60.64.3270.100.372.2712.09
Not SelectedJennifer Cross
Michigan Fr. MH6-42.43.3170.120.86n/an/a
Not SelectedAriel TurnerPurdue So.OH6-13.18.1770.130.541.63n/a
Not SelectedAshley WittmanMinnesota Fr.OH6-03.14.1850.140.722.85n/a