Cole Earns All-Big Ten Conference Postseason Honors
12/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 1, 2015
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- University of Michigan volleyball junior Abby Cole was selected to the 2015 All-Big Ten Conference team, it was announced by the conference office on Tuesday (Dec. 1). Michigan junior Kelly Murphy also earned postseason accolades as Michigan's Sportsmanship Award winner.
After earning a 2013 All-Big Ten Freshman team selection and a unanimous 2014 All-Big Ten team selection, Cole wraps up the 2015 season with her third straight Big Ten postseason honor. A native of Grand Haven, Michigan, Cole ended the 2015 regular season on Friday (Nov. 27) with a season-high 20 kills in a 3-1 upset win over No. 18 Illinois. She led Michigan in attacking on the season, averaging 3.25 kills per set on a .335 average. Playing in all but one of the Wolverines' 31 matches, Cole also led Michigan during the regular season with 1.03 blocks per set on 114 total blocks. She tallied a career-high 10 blocks in two matches, earning double-digit kills in 19 matches and recording two block-kill double-doubles. Cole was also a unanimous 2015 All-Big Ten Preseason selection and selected as a Big Ten Player of the Week earlier this season (Sep. 14). Finally, she was the MVP of the Bobcat Invitational, Michigan Challenge and Michigan Invite tournaments.
Despite suffering season-ending injuries in her first three seasons with Michigan, Murphy returned to action this season and earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the Wolverines. The outside hitter played in 17 of Michigan's matches, including ten Big Ten Conference contests. In 38 sets played, Murphy averaged 1.47 kills per set and 0.26 blocks per set. Murphy is also a two-year captain for the Maize and Blue.
In the specialty awards, Minnesota's Daly Santana was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, while Minnesota coach Hugh McCutcheon earned Coach of the Year Honors and Minnesota freshman Samantha Seliger-Swenson was named the Freshman of the Year. Wisconsin's Lauren Carlini was named the Setter of the Year, and Nebraska's Justine Wong-Orantes was tabbed the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Michigan (19-12) heads to Los Angeles, California, this year for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines are set to face Santa Clara on Friday, Dec. 4, at 5:30 p.m. PST (8:30 p.m. EST) at the John Wooden Center on the campus of UCLA.
ALL-BIG TEN
Jocelynn Birks, Sr., OH, ILL
Abby Cole, Jr., OPP, MICH
DALY SANTANA, Sr., OH, MINN
Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Fr., S, MINN
HANNAH TAPP, Jr., OPP, MINN
Amber Rolfzen, Jr., MB, NEB
KADIE ROLFZEN, Jr., OH, NEB
TAYLOR SANDBOTHE, Jr., MB, OSU
Megan Courtney, Sr., OH, PSU
HALEIGH WASHINGTON, So., MB, PSU
Aiyana Whitney, Sr., MB, PSU
ANNIE DREWS, Sr., OPP, PUR
LAUREN CARLINI, Jr., S, WIS
Haleigh Nelson, Jr., MB, WIS
Honorable Mention
Adreene Elliott, Sr., OH, MD
Chloe Reinig, Jr., OH, MSU
Paige Tapp, Jr., MB, MINN
Justine Wong-Orantes, Jr., L, NEB
Taylor Tashima, So., S, NU
Elizabeth Campbell, Sr., OPP, OSU
Faye Adelaja, Jr., MB, Purdue
Taylor Morey, Sr., L, WIS
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Ali Bastianelli, MB, ILL
Jordyn Poulter, S, ILL
SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON, S, MINN
MIKAELA FOECKE, OH, NEB
AUDRA APPOLD, OH, OSU
Taylor Hughes, S, OSU
TIONNA WILLIAMS, MB, WIS
Unanimous selections in CAPS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Daly Santana, MINN
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justine Wong-Orantes, NEB
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Carlini, WIS
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Samantha Seliger-Swenson, MINN
COACH OF THE YEAR (COACHES AND MEDIA)
Hugh McCutcheon, MINN
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
Ali Stark, ILL
Courtney Harnish, IND
Erin Radke, IOWA
Abigail Bentz, MD
Kelly Murphy, MICH
Halle Peterson, MSU
Paige Tapp, MINN
Sydney Townsend, NEB
Kayla Morin, NU
Emily Ruetter, OSU
Kendall Pierce, PSU
Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn
