CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois volleyball team had four players honored when the Big Ten Conference announced its postseason awards on Tuesday (November 28), as juniors Jordyn Poulter and Ali Bastianelli repeated as All-Big Ten selections, rookie Megan Cooney was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and redshirt-sophomore Beth Prince was tabbed as Illinois' Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.
It is the second-straight season the Illini have had two honorees on the All-Big Ten team after the junior duo also earned the accolades a season ago. Poulter and Bastianelli also become the 13th and 14th players in program history to repeat as all-conference selections and the first since Jocelynn Birks was a three-time honoree in 2015.
One of main catalysts for the Illini, Poulter has totaled 1,224 assists for a 10.83 assists per set average this season to rank 37th in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten, while leading the Illini to a .278 team hitting percentage. A native of Aurora, Colorado, she also ranked second on the team with 107 blocks and 275 digs, for a 0.95 blocks and 2.43 digs per set average, while also adding 95 kills on a .371 hitting percentage and 15 service aces.
The only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 15 in assists and blocks in both overall and conference statistics, Poulter has registered 11 double-doubles this season to up her career total to 21 and came within one kill of the program's 13th double-double in a win over Iowa on Senior Night. The Preseason All-Big Ten honoree also earned all-tournament accolades at the Cardinal Classic and Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational, including being named tournament MVP in Louisville, and was tabbed Big Ten Setter of the Week on November 16.
After leading the nation in blocks per set a season ago, Bastianelli has continued her success at the net this season, pacing the Big Ten and ranking fourth in the county with 1.59 stuffs per set, while also sitting 25th in the county and fourth in conference with a .388 hitting percentage. Her 175 total blocks – including 17 solo stuffs – also rank first in the league and fifth in the NCAA. In conference action, Bastianelli has continued to shine, ranking third with a 1.39 blocks per set average and eighth with a .344 attack clip.
The Marysville, Michigan, native started in all 31 matches this season, seeing action in all but three sets. Along with leading the Illini in blocks and hitting percentage, she also ranked third with 282 kills for a 2.56 kills per set average and added 36 digs, eight service aces and three assists on the season. The Preseason All-Big Ten selection also took home all-tournament team honors at the Bobcat Classic – where she was also named MVP – and the Cardinal Classic, while also collecting Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades on August 28.
In her first season with the Illini, Cooney has quickly become a mainstay on the court after entering the starting lineup in the second weekend of play and staying there throughout the season. Seeing action in 29 of UI's 31 matches and starting 26 contests, Cooney ranks fourth on the team with 198 kills for a 1.90 kills per set average on a .277 hitting percentage. The Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week for October 16, she ranks third on the team with 81 total blocks for an 0.78 stuffs per set clip, while also adding 30 digs and eight assists in her rookie campaign.
The Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree, Prince has been a consistent contributor for the Illini, playing in all 31 matches this season and ranking second on the team with 345 kills for a 3.11 kills per set average on a .224 hitting percentage. She has reached double figure kills on 15 occasions and has led the Illini in kills in eight contests, including her first two 20-plus kill performances of her career in five-setters against Colorado and Michigan. Prince, who has set career-highs in multiple categories this season, also owns 46 blocks, 38 digs and two assists on the year.
Penn State's Simone Lee was named Big Ten Player of the Year by a vote of the conference's coaches, with teammate Haleigh Washington earning Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Kelly Hunter of Nebraska was tabbed Setter of the Year and Wisconsin's Dana Rettke was named Freshman of the Year. The Huskers' head coach John Cook took home Coach of the Year honors from the conference coaches, while PSU head coach Russ Rose was tabbed Coach of the Year from the media.
For more Fighting Illini volleyball news, stay tuned to FightingIllini.com and follow the team on Twitter (@IlliniVBall), Instagram (@IlliniVBall) and like Fighting Illini Volleyball on Facebook.
ALL-BIG TEN*
Ali Bastianelli, Jr., MB, ILL
Jordyn Poulter, Jr., S, ILL
Carly Skjodt, Jr., OH, MICH
AUTUMN BAILEY, Sr., OH, MSU
Alyssa Garvelink, Sr., MB, MSU
Alexis Hart, So., OH, MINN
STEPHANIE SAMEDY, Fr., OPP, MINN
SAMANTHA SELIGER-SWENSON, Jr., S, MINN
Annika Albrecht, Sr., OH, NEB
MIKAELA FOECKE, Jr., OH, NEB
KELLY HUNTER, Sr., S, NEB
Symone Abbott, Sr., OH, NU
SIMONE LEE, Sr., OH, PSU
HALEIGH WASHINGTON, Sr., MB, PSU
Kendall White, So., L, PSU
SHERRIDAN ATKINSON, Jr., OPP, PUR
DANIELLE CUTTINO, Sr., OH, PUR
DANA RETTKE, Fr., MB, WIS
Tionna Williams, Jr., MB, WIS
*Additional honorees due to ties
HONORABLE MENTION
Jess Janota, Sr., MB, IOWA
Taylor Louis, Jr., OH, IOWA
Annika Olsen, Sr., L, IOWA
Hailey Murray, Sr., MB, MD
Claire Kieffer-Wright, Sr., MB, MICH
Rachel Minarick, Sr., S, MSU
Holly Toliver, Sr., OPP, MSU
Briana Holman, Sr., MB, NEB
Ashley Wenz, Sr., OH, OSU
Heidi Thelen, Sr., RS, PSU
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Megan Cooney, OH, ILL
STEPHANIE SAMEDY, OPP, MINN
Jazz Sweet, OH, NEB
Lauren Stivrins, MB, NEB
Nia Robinson, OH, NU
Sydney Hilley, S, WIS
DANA RETTKE, MB, WIS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Simone Lee, PSU
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Haleigh Washington, PSU
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Kelly Hunter, NEB
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Dana Rettke, WIS
COACH OF THE YEAR (COACHES)
John Cook, NEB
COACH OF THE YEAR (MEDIA)
Russ Rose, PSU
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
Beth Prince, ILL
Jessica Admire, IND
Annika Olsen, IOWA
Liz Twilley, MD
Maddy Abbott, MICH
Abby Monson, MSU
Molly Lohman, MINN
Sydney Townsend, NEB
Gabrielle Hazen, NU
Kalisha Goree, OSU
Carissa Damler, PUR
Lainy Pierce, PSU
Karysa Swackenberg, RU
Lauryn Gillis, WIS
ALL CAPS denotes unanimous selection
