University of Minnesota Athletics
Three Gophers Receive Big Ten Honors
12/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The Minnesota volleyball team had three players receive Big Ten honors according to an announcement by the conference office on Monday, Nov. 30. Junior middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer (St. Paul, Minn.) received first-team honors, senior libero Christine Tan (Safety Harbor, Fla.) was named Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten and freshman Tabitha Love (Dauphin, Manitoba) was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team.
Gibbemeyer was one of eight players to be named unanimously to the first team, and is one of only two middle blockers to be a unanimous selection. She also extended a streak of five years in a row that a Golden Gopher middle blocker has received First-Team All-Big Ten honors. Gibbemeyer has combined with Jessy Jones (2007) and Meredith Nelson (2005-06) to put together that string of first team honors.
Going back to 1999, Minnesota has had a middle blocker named to the first team in eight of the last 11 seasons. Stephanie Hagen (1999, 2000, 2001) is also on that list with Gibbemeyer, Jones and Nelson.
Gibbemeyer enters the NCAA Tournament as one of two players in the nation to be in the top 10 nationally in both hitting percentage and blocks. She is currently seventh in hitting percentage at .409 and 10th in blocks at 1.49 blps. Gibbemeyer is also second in the conference in hitting percentage, third in blocks, eighth in points (4.17 pps) and 10th in kills (3.26 kps).
In conference play, she finished second in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.399), fourth in blocks (1.43 blps), fourth in points (4.36 pps) and fourth in kills (3.49 kps). Gibbemeyer was the only player in the Big Ten to be in the top five in all four categories.
Entering the NCAA Tournament, she is currently eighth on the school’s single-season list in blocks (162) and second in hitting percentage (.409). Gibbemeyer is also second on the school’s career hitting percentage list at .331, fifth in blocks with 459 and 17th in kills at 1,079.
Tan was one of only two liberos to be named to either of the All-Big Ten teams. She was joined by Northwestern’s Kate Nobilio, who claimed Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. Minnesota has had a libero named either First-Team or Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in seven of the eight years that the libero has been existence in college volleyball.
Entering the week, Tan is ninth in the Big Ten in digs at 3.73 dps. She has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week three times this year and 10 times in her career. The 10 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors are a conference record.
In conference play, Tan is eighth in the Big Ten in digs with 3.60 dps. Entering the NCAA Tournament, she is currently tied for sixth in the Big Ten in serve-receive percentage at .966. In Big Ten play, Tan has a .969 serve-receive percentage. She is also currently second on the school’s all-time digs list at 1,843.
Love becomes the sixth Golden Gopher in school history to be named to the Big Ten All-Freshmen team. The team was composed of seven players from seven different teams. Love enters the week second on the team in kills with 253.
In conference play, Love averaged 2.54 kps. She was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice, and claimed Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors on Oct. 26. In the Golden Gophers’ last 12 matches, Love has averaged 2.76 kps.
Senior Megan Wilson also claimed the Big Ten Sportsmanship honor, which goes to one player on each team.
Outside of Nobilio, Penn State swept the rest of the awards as Russ Rose was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, Megan Hodge was named Player of the Year for a second season in a row and Darcy Dorton was named Freshman of the Year.
The Nittany Lions led the way with four First-Team All-Big Ten honorees (Blair Brown, Alisha Glass, Hodge and Arielle Wilson). Illinois was second with three players, as Johannah Bangert, Laura DeBruler and Hillary Haen made First-Team All-Conference. Michigan also collected multiple players, as Juliana and Paz and Lexi Zimmerman collected the honors. Ashley Benson (Indiana), Kyndra Abron (Michigan State), Sabel Moffett (Northwestern) and Katie Dull (Ohio State) also joined Gibbemeyer on the first team.
Michelle Bartsch (Illinois), Alex Hunt (Michigan), Nobilio (Northwestern), Kristen Dozier (Ohio State), Tiffany Fisher (Purdue) and Brittney Dolgner (Wisconsin) also joined Tan on the honorable mention team.
Joining Love on the Big Ten All-Freshmen team were, Erin Johnson (Illinois), Jordan Haverly (Indiana), Dorton (Penn State), Ariel Turner (Purdue) and Alexis Mitchell (Wisconsin).
Gibbemeyer was one of eight players to be named unanimously to the first team, and is one of only two middle blockers to be a unanimous selection. She also extended a streak of five years in a row that a Golden Gopher middle blocker has received First-Team All-Big Ten honors. Gibbemeyer has combined with Jessy Jones (2007) and Meredith Nelson (2005-06) to put together that string of first team honors.
Going back to 1999, Minnesota has had a middle blocker named to the first team in eight of the last 11 seasons. Stephanie Hagen (1999, 2000, 2001) is also on that list with Gibbemeyer, Jones and Nelson.
Gibbemeyer enters the NCAA Tournament as one of two players in the nation to be in the top 10 nationally in both hitting percentage and blocks. She is currently seventh in hitting percentage at .409 and 10th in blocks at 1.49 blps. Gibbemeyer is also second in the conference in hitting percentage, third in blocks, eighth in points (4.17 pps) and 10th in kills (3.26 kps).
In conference play, she finished second in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.399), fourth in blocks (1.43 blps), fourth in points (4.36 pps) and fourth in kills (3.49 kps). Gibbemeyer was the only player in the Big Ten to be in the top five in all four categories.
Entering the NCAA Tournament, she is currently eighth on the school’s single-season list in blocks (162) and second in hitting percentage (.409). Gibbemeyer is also second on the school’s career hitting percentage list at .331, fifth in blocks with 459 and 17th in kills at 1,079.
Tan was one of only two liberos to be named to either of the All-Big Ten teams. She was joined by Northwestern’s Kate Nobilio, who claimed Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. Minnesota has had a libero named either First-Team or Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in seven of the eight years that the libero has been existence in college volleyball.
Entering the week, Tan is ninth in the Big Ten in digs at 3.73 dps. She has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week three times this year and 10 times in her career. The 10 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors are a conference record.
In conference play, Tan is eighth in the Big Ten in digs with 3.60 dps. Entering the NCAA Tournament, she is currently tied for sixth in the Big Ten in serve-receive percentage at .966. In Big Ten play, Tan has a .969 serve-receive percentage. She is also currently second on the school’s all-time digs list at 1,843.
Love becomes the sixth Golden Gopher in school history to be named to the Big Ten All-Freshmen team. The team was composed of seven players from seven different teams. Love enters the week second on the team in kills with 253.
In conference play, Love averaged 2.54 kps. She was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice, and claimed Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors on Oct. 26. In the Golden Gophers’ last 12 matches, Love has averaged 2.76 kps.
Senior Megan Wilson also claimed the Big Ten Sportsmanship honor, which goes to one player on each team.
Outside of Nobilio, Penn State swept the rest of the awards as Russ Rose was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, Megan Hodge was named Player of the Year for a second season in a row and Darcy Dorton was named Freshman of the Year.
The Nittany Lions led the way with four First-Team All-Big Ten honorees (Blair Brown, Alisha Glass, Hodge and Arielle Wilson). Illinois was second with three players, as Johannah Bangert, Laura DeBruler and Hillary Haen made First-Team All-Conference. Michigan also collected multiple players, as Juliana and Paz and Lexi Zimmerman collected the honors. Ashley Benson (Indiana), Kyndra Abron (Michigan State), Sabel Moffett (Northwestern) and Katie Dull (Ohio State) also joined Gibbemeyer on the first team.
Michelle Bartsch (Illinois), Alex Hunt (Michigan), Nobilio (Northwestern), Kristen Dozier (Ohio State), Tiffany Fisher (Purdue) and Brittney Dolgner (Wisconsin) also joined Tan on the honorable mention team.
Joining Love on the Big Ten All-Freshmen team were, Erin Johnson (Illinois), Jordan Haverly (Indiana), Dorton (Penn State), Ariel Turner (Purdue) and Alexis Mitchell (Wisconsin).
Players Mentioned
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballDS/L
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball2025 Season Recap
Tuesday, January 27
Best of Julia Hanson
Monday, December 22
Gophers Preview NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Tuesday, December 09
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Reach Sweet Sixteen
Tuesday, December 09