University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Receive B1G Laurels
11/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Senior outside hitter Sarah Wilhite (Eden Prairie, Minn.) has been named the Big Ten Player of the Year, and Samantha Seliger-Swenson (Minnetonka, Minn.) has been named the Big Ten Setter of the Year, announced today by the conference office. The 2016 season marks the second-straight year Minnesota has claimed the player of the year, as Wilhite follows Daly Santana as the top athlete in the league.
Wilhite, Seliger-Swenson and Hannah Tapp (Stewartville, Minn.) were all named All-Big Ten, Molly Lohman (Mankato, Minn.) was named All-Big Ten honorable mention, Alexis Hart (Independence, Mo.) was an All-Freshman honoree, while Paige Tapp (Stewartville, Minn.) was Minnesota's Sportsmanship selection.
Wilhite became the conference player of the year after an outstanding regular season performance, having never received a yearly conference award her three previous years. Saving her best season for her last, Wilhite was a four-time Big Ten Player of the Week. In 109 sets played, Wilhite has 451 kills, averages 4.14 kills per set in 1,151 attempts to hit .294. The six-rotation outside hitter also has 284 digs, 27 aces and 52 total blocks on the year. In conference action alone, Wilhite averaged 4.13 kills per set, which ranked second in the Big Ten and added 2.68 digs per set. To date, Wilhite has 11 double-doubles this year and has hit over .300 in 17 of 29 matches, while she led the Gophers in match kills 22 times. During her Gopher career, Wilhite has 1,096 kills. She becomes the fifth Gopher to receive Big Ten Player of the Year in school history (Santana, Cassie Busse, Nicole Branagh and Martie Larsen).
Seliger-Swenson garners her B1G Setter of the Year honor after receiving Freshman of the Year last year. This is her second All-Big Ten nod for the sophomore. Seliger-Swenson was named a unanimous selection this season after posting four weekly accolades. In 29 matches, she ranks ninth nationally in assists per set (11.45). In conference action, she established 11.09 assists per set (third) and 0.30 aces per set (eighth) within 20 matches. Earning a team-high 12 double-doubles this year, Seliger-Swenson also has 254 digs, a team-high 31 aces and 63 total blocks. A Preseason All-Big Ten, she has lead the Gophers to 15 matches where the team hit better than .300. On the season, the Gophers are hitting .290, all in part because of Seliger-Swenson. Seliger-Swenson is the first Gopher to receive Setter of the Year honors, which began in 2012.
Hannah Tapp, a middle blocker/right side hitter, landed her second All-Big Ten honor of her four-year Gopher tenure. Tapp ranks third on the team in kills (288), blocks (112) and blocks per set (1.06). The senior was named a 2016 Preseason All-Big Ten and garnered Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week once this season. It marks the second-straight year Tapp has been named an All-Big Ten selection. In conference action, Tapp had 189 kills in 77 sets played to average 2.45 per set.
Molly Lohman was named an honorable mention this season. As a junior, Lohman has played in all 29 matches for the Gophers and ranks first on the team in hitting percentage (.355), blocks (154) and blocks per set (1.41) and fifth on the team in kills (185). Named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week once this season, Lohman hit .394 in conference action, which was second-best in Big Ten action. Her 1.40 blocks per set in conference action was fourth-best.
Alexis Hart was named an All-Freshman selection. In her rookie season, the outside hitter ranks second on the team with 312 kills and averages 2.86 per set. She also had 10 aces, 75 digs and 48 blocks. As a three-time Freshman of the Week honoree, Hart holds the Big Ten's best hitting percentage among freshmen at .249. She ranks third in the league in freshman kills when she posted 207 kills and averaged 2.69 kills per set.
For the second-straight year, Paige Tapp has been Minnesota's Sportsmanship honoree. Tapp has played in every match this season and hit .312 in Big Ten action. The senior middle blocker is a two-time All-American and was named an Academic All-American last season. Holding a 3.883 grade point average, Paige will graduate with a marketing degree this December.
ALL-BIG TEN
Ali Bastianelli, So., MB, ILL
Jordyn Poulter, So., S, ILL
ABBY COLE, Sr., MB, MICH
Alyssa Garvelink, Jr., MB, MSU
.SARAH WILHITE, Sr., OH MINN
.SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON, So., S, MINN
Hannah Tapp, Sr., MB, MINN
Kelly Hunter, Jr., S, NEB
Amber Rolfzen, Sr., MB, NEB
KADIE ROLFZEN, Sr., OH, NEB
JUSTINE WONG-ORANTES, Sr., L, NEB
TAYLOR SANDBOTHE, Sr., MB, OSU
SIMONE LEE, Jr., OH, PSU
HALEIGH WASHINGTON, Jr., MB, PSU
DANIELLE CUTTINO, Jr., OH, PUR
LAUREN CARLINI, Sr., S, WIS
Haleigh Nelson, Sr., MB WIS
Tionna Williams, So., MB, WIS
HONORABLE MENTION
Brandi Donnelly, Jr., L, ILL
Jazzmine McDonald, Sr., MB, IND
Loxley Keala, Sr., S, IOWA
Gia Milana, Fr., OH, MD
MacKenzi Welsh, Fr., S, MICH
Autumn Bailey, Jr., OH, MSU
Rachel Minarick, Jr., S, MSU
Molly Lohman, Jr., MB, MINN
Mikaela Foecke, So., OH, NEB
Briana Holman, Jr., MB, NEB
Symone Abbott, Jr., OH, NU
Taylor Hughes, So., S, OSU
Faye Adelaja, Sr., MB, PUR
Molly Haggerty, Fr., OH, WIS
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Jacqueline Quade, OH, ILL
GIA MILANA, OH, MD
MacKenzi Welsh, S, MICH
Alexis Hart, OH, MINN
Tori Gorrell, MB, PSU
Kendall White, L, PSU
MOLLY HAGGERTY, OH, WIS
Unanimous selections in CAPS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sarah Wilhite, MINN
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justine Wong-Orantes, NEB
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Samantha Seliger-Swenson, MINN
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Molly Haggerty, WIS
COACH OF THE YEAR (COACHES AND MEDIA)
John Cook, NEB
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
Katie Stadick, ILL
Jessica Leish, IND
Ashley Mariana, IOWA
Samantha Higginbothem, MD
Kelly Murphy, MICH
Alyssah Fitterer, MSU
Paige Tapp, MINN
Brooke Smith, NEB
Caleigh Ryan, NU
Kylie Randall, OSU
Faye Adelaja, PUR
Laura Broerman, PSU
Mikaela Matthews, RU
Tori Blake, WIS
ALL CAPS denotes unanimous selection
