University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Volleyball Announces Postseason Team Awards
2/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The Minnesota volleyball team announced its end of the year awards at the team's postseason banquet. Minnesota’s team awards included the team MVP, the Maurice Batie Award for most inspirational player, the Golddiggers Booster Club Award and the Gold Country Award for the highest GPA during the fall semester.
Senior middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer was named the 2010 Most Valuable Player, received the Golddiggers Booster Club Award and claimed the Gold Country Award.
The senior middle blocker was the first Golden Gopher since Nicole Branagh and Lindsey Berg to claim the honors in the three straight seasons (both Berg and Branagh shared the honors from 1998-2000 and Berg won it on her own in 2001). Gibbemeyer joins Berg, Branagh and Jill Halsted (1980-82) as one of four Minnesota players to win the MVP honors in three years in a row.
Gibbemeyer was named a Second-Team Volleyball Magazine All-American, claimed First-Team All-Big Ten honors and was named to NCAA Regional All-Tournament.
During her four-year career, she finished with a school-record 593 total blocks, was ninth on the school's all-time list in kills at 1,421 and finished second in hitting percentage. Gibbemeyer had 3.29 kps, 1.38 blps and hit .375 on the season. She became the first player in school history to collect 100 blocks in all four years with the program.
Freshman Tori Dixon also received the Maurice Batie Award for Most Inspirational Player. During the season, Dixon played right-side, left-side and middle blocker, as she shifted positions to help make adjustments for several injuries during the year.
Dixon was named Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten and received Big Ten All-Freshmen honors. She finished the season averaging 2.44 kps, 0.84 blps and hit .288 on the season. Dixon joined Gibbemeyer and Andrea Gonzalez as one of only three Gopher middle blockers to collect 300 kills and 100 blocks as a freshman.
Following the banquet, Minnesota Head Coach Mike Hebert’s career was honored as part of a reception. Many former players from both Minnesota and Illinois were in attendance to pay tribute to Hebert’s career.
