Dec. 15, 2010
Kansas City, Mo. -
Complete All-America Teams in PDF Format 
Illinois junior outside hitter Colleen Ward has been named AVCA Second Team All-America while senior setter Hillary Haen and junior outside hitter Michelle Bartsch were each named Third Team All-America. This marks the second straight year in which Illinois has hailed at least three All-Americans and the first time ever that the Illini have had three players on one of the top three teams.
Ward had a stellar NCAA Tournament, ranking sixth in the tournament in kills at 5.00 per set. Overall the native of Naperville, Ill., ranks 36th nationally and third among Big Ten players in kills at 3.99 kills per set. Her 511 kills are seventh most in a single-season by an Illini. The All-Big Ten selection set an Illinois single-match ace record with nine vs. BYU in the season opener and was named to the all-tournament team at Time-Warner Cable Invitational, the Ameritas Players Challenge and the Big Ten/Big East Challenge. Ward was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Sept. 27 after amassing 30 kills and 18 digs in victories over Penn State and Ohio State and had five matches with at least 20 kills, including 27 the NCAA second round victory over Cincinnati.
Haen was an Honorable Mention All-America selection a year ago. This season, she leads the Big Ten and ranks 17th nationally in assists at 11.49 per set. Haen was named All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten and moved into fifth on Illinois' all-time career assists list (3,956). She was named MVP of the State Farm Illini Classic and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after posting 134 assists combined in victories over BYU, South Carolina and Middle Tennessee State. She was also part of the Illinois ace assault with five aces on the weekend and helped the Illini hit. 270 as a team.
Bartsch likewise was an Honorable Mention All-American in 2009 and earned All-Big Ten honors this season. She was named MVP of the Time Warner Cable Invitational and Big Ten Player of the Week after leading Illinois to victories over Texas and Florida A&M, hitting .526 with 10 kills in 19 swings vs. Texas and .500 with nine kills in 16 swings vs. Florida A&M. Bartsch was also an all-tournament selection at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge after amassing 30 kills and 13 digs combined vs. Cincinnati and Louisville. The native of Maryville, Ill., had 42 kills and 27 digs in three NCAA Tournament matches and ranks fifth in the Big Ten in kills per set (3.56) and seventh in the conference in points per set (4.11).
