Trio named All-Big Ten

MADISON, Wis. – Three members of the third-seeded Wisconsin volleyball team were named to the 2016 All-Big Ten Conference squad, the league office announced on Tuesday. Molly Haggerty was also named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Senior Lauren Carlini became the first four-time All-Big Ten pick in program history, earning a unanimous selection, while senior Haleigh Nelson earned her second-straight honor. Sophomore Tionna Williams earned her first award while Haggerty became the fourth Freshman of the Year in UW history. Haggerty also earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. Senior Tori Blake was recognized as the team's Sportsmanship Award recipient.

A 6-2 setter, Carlini leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth nationally with 11.77 assists per set. She ranks second in Wisconsin history with 5,406 assists, which leads all active players. The Aurora, Illinois, native also has 1,325 digs in her career, which ranks seventh in Badger history. Carlini has a Big Ten-leading 16 double-doubles this season for a school record 72 double-doubles in her career.

Nelson, a 6-4 middle blocker, leads the Badgers and ranks second in the Big Ten with a .375 hitting percentage. The Cary, North Carolina, is UW's career hitting percentage leader at .369 and also ranks 17th in career kills (1,077), fifth in career blocks (573). Nelson has started a Badger record 132 matches and played in a record 482 sets.

Williams is just the sixth sophomore in Wisconsin history to earn All-Big Ten honors. The 6-2 middle blocker currently leads the Badgers and ranks sixth in the Big Ten with 1.29 blocks per set. She also ranks second on the team and 10th in the Big Ten with a .338 hitting percentage.

Following in the footsteps of Carlini, who was named the 2014 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Haggerty also follows Claudia Rodriguez (2000) and Sherisa Livingston (1998) as rookie honorees. The 6-1 outside hitter leads the team and ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 3.43 kills per set. Haggerty has led the Badgers in kills in 10 matches, recording a team-best 10-plus kills in 16 matches. She also ranks third on the team with 2.43 digs per set.

No. 3-seed Wisconsin (25-4) hosts first-round and second-round matches of the 2016 NCAA Championship on Thursday and Friday in the UW Field House. UW takes on Howard (26-5), the 2016 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion, in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Championship on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the UW Field House. In-state rival Marquette (23-8) faces No. 25 Washington State (21-11) in the other first-round match on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Winners advance to the second-round match on Friday at 7 p.m.

Wisconsin, which earned the highest seed in program history at third, is 39-19 (.672) in 19 years of NCAA tournament play, including a 10-3 mark under Coach Kelly Sheffield. UW is making its fourth-straight appearance in the tournament.

2016 All-Big Ten Team
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 ALL 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

University of Wisconsin Athletics

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