Selsky, Bruzdzinski Highlight U-M All-Big Ten Honors

PARK RIDGE, Ill.-- The University of Michigan volleyball team picked up a record haul of individual Big Ten honors after a record-setting regular-season with senior Stesha Selsky(Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount) earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year accolades, senior Katie Bruzdzinski(Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) named a unanimous All-Big Ten selection and freshman Lexi Zimmerman(Barrington, Ill./Barrington) earning All-Big Ten Freshman team honors, announced by the conference office Monday (Nov. 26).

Selsky is Michigan volleyball's first individual player of the year honoree, while Bruzdzinski becomes just the third Wolverine to receive All-Big Ten honors twice in her career. Zimmerman is Michigan's fourth Big Ten All-Freshman team honoree and the third in the last five seasons.

Selsky becomes just the fifth Big Ten student-athlete in the seven year history of the Defensive Player of the Year award to earn the hardware. She led the Big Ten in digs per game from the entire campaign, earning a pair of Defensive Player of the Week honors, while regularly ranking in the top 10 in the nation in digs. She already owns Michigan's career and single-season digs records and has had 22 matches with 20 or more digs. Selsky earned four all-tournament team honors this season, including MVP of the ASICS Rainbow Wahine Classic. Selsky stands at 2,140 career digs, which is remarkable considering that prior to the 2007 campaign, just 24 NCAA Division I volleyball players had recorded 2,000 or more career digs.

Bruzdzinski was one of just four Big Ten players in 2007 to be selected as unanimous choices for the All-Big Ten team, picking up her second All-Big Ten honor in a row. Bruzdzinski joins All-American Erin Moore (2000-03) and Michelle Horrigan (1989-93) as the only Wolverines to earn a pair of All-Big Ten honors in their careers. Bruzdzinski leads the Big Ten in aces per game, is second in the conference in kills per game and fourth in points per game. She already owns Michigan's career and single-season records for kills and has hit double-digit kills in 30 matches this season. She earned a pair on non-conference tournament MVP awards this season.

Zimmerman becomes the fourth Wolverine in program history to earn All-Big Ten Freshman team honors, joining Bruzdzinski (2004), Megan Bowman (2003) and Jennifer Gandolph (2001). Zimmerman led the Big Ten in assists per game the entire season, finishing the regular-season ranked 10th in the nation in helpers. She set Michigan's attack to the Big Ten's fourth-best hitting percentage, while racking up the most assists for a U-M freshman setter in program history. Zimmerman posted 17 double-doubles with 13 matches of 50 assists or more. She is just 92 assists short of setting a new U-M record for most single-season assists.

Selsky was also the Michigan recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for volleyball, given to individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. Selsky is now a candidate for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, given to one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the school year.

Michigan hosts the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, welcoming Miami (Ohio) to Crisler Arena on Friday (Nov. 30) at 7:30 p.m. The winner will face the victor of the Colorado State vs. Illinois State match on Saturday (Dec. 1) at 7 p.m. Tickets to all matches are on sale by calling 734-764-0247 or 1-866-296-MTIX.

All-Big Ten Team
KATIE BRUZDZINSKI, Sr., OH, MICH (2nd selection)
Ashley Schatzle, Sr., OH, MSU (2)
Jessy Jones, Sr., MB, MINN (1)
DANIELLE MEYER, Sr., MB, OSU (3)
NICOLE FAWCETT, Jr., OH, PSU (3)
Alisha Glass, So., S, PSU (1)
Christa Harmotto, Jr., MH, PSU (3)
MEGAN HODGE, So., OH, PSU (2)
Stephanie Lynch, Jr., MH, PUR (2)
Brittney Dolgner, So., OH, WIS (2)
Taylor Reineke, Sr., MB, WIS (3)
Jackie Simpson, Sr., S, WIS (2)

Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
Victoria Brown, Sr., MB, ILL
Laura DeBruler, Fr., OH, ILL
Lauren Ditteon, Sr., RS, IND
Katie Johnson, Sr., OH, MSU
Jocelyn Wack, Sr., S, WIS

All-Big Ten Freshman Team
Laura DeBruler, OH, ILL
Lexi Zimmerman, S, MICH
Brook Dieter, OH, MINN
Lauren Gibbemeyer, MB, MINN
Blair Brown, MH, PSU
Arielle Wilson, MH, PSU

Big Ten Player of the Year
Christa Harmotto, PSU

Defensive Player of the Year
Stesha Selsky, Sr., LIB, MICH

Freshman of the Year
Arielle Wilson, PSU

Coach of the Year
Russ Rose, PSU (Coaches)
Russ Rose, PSU (Media)

Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS

Contact: Richard Retyi (734) 763-4423