2019 Volleyball Roster
Jersey Number 16
Morgan O'Brien
- Position:
- Defensive Specialist
- Height:
- 5-8
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Libertyville, Ill.
- High School:
- Libertyville HS
Junior - 2019
- Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (11/18)
- Registered 41 digs on the weekend for an impressive 6.83 digs per set, while adding four assists and 1.000 reception percentage on 22 opportunities in matches against No. 8 Penn State (11/15) and Rutgers (11/16).
- Came with one dig of a season-high with 24 digs against No. 8 Penn State (11/15).
- Notched her sixth 20-dig match of the season with a match-high 21 digs at Michigan (11/9).
- Reached her first-career double-double with 14 digs and a career-high 10 assists at No. 8 Penn State (10/23).
- Totaled a season-high 23 digs against No. 6 Minnesota (10/9).
- Posted 12 digs and seven assists in a win at No. 17 Purdue (10/6).
- Posted a season-best 22 digs in a win over Pacific (9/20).
- Turned in a career-high nine assists against No. 16 Washington (9/6/19).
- Led the team in digs in both wins over No. 19 Tennessee during the season-opening weekend, posting 20 digs in the season-opening road win (8/30) and 14 in the home opener (9/1).
Sophomore - 2018
- Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
- CSU Invitational All-Tournament Team
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (10/29)
- Academic All-Big Ten
- iFund Scholar-Athlete of the Week (12/5)
- The mainstay at the libero position, O'Brien started all 36 matches for the Illini.
- Registered a team-high 571 digs for a 4.33 digs per set average, while also posting 28 service aces.
- Along with her passing, the Illini were able to record a .281 hitting percentage as a team.
- Paced all players with 27 digs in the NCAA National Semifinal against Nebraska (12/13).
- Registered 25 digs in wins over No. 12 Purdue (11/24) in the regular season finale and Louisville (12/1) in the NCAA Second Round.
- Totaled a team-high 24 digs in a win over No. 7 Penn State (11/10).
- Posted 20 digs in a win at Ohio State (11/2) for her second-straight 20-plus dig outing to go along with four service aces.
- Turned in a career-high 32 digs - tying for seventh-most in a single match in program history in a win at No. 9 Nebraska (10/27).
- Notched a team high 22 digs in a win over No. 13 Michigan.
- Tied a career-high with 24 digs in a win at No. 8 Wisconsin (10/13).
- Registered a team-high 13 digs against No. 3 Nebraska (9/29).
- Served up three aces in a win at Indiana (9/23).
- Notched her second 20-dig performance of the season and third of her career with 20 in a win at No. 16 Purdue (9/21).
- Totaled 42 digs for a 4.20 digs per set mark at the Illini Classic, including 18 digs in a win over No. 10 Creighton (9/15).
- Named to the CSU Invitational All-Tournament Team after pacing the Illini defense with 48 digs for a 5.33 digs per set mark, while adding 10 assists and six service aces on the weekend.
- Served up a career-high five aces in a win at Cleveland State (9/7).
- Led the Illini with 17 digs in a win at No. 13 Washington (9/1).
- Took over libero duties as a sophomore, leading the Illini with 60 digs in Colorado for a 4.62 digs per set average.
- Tallied three-straight double-double dig outings, including posting a season-high 23 at Northern Colorado (8/25).
Freshman - 2017
- Saw action in 31 matches, starting 14 and playing in 115 sets.
- Ranked third on the team with 229 digs for a 1.99 digs per set average.
- Led the Illini with 22 service aces and registered one kill for 23 points, while also ranking third on the team with 42 assists.
- Stepped in as the Illini libero for seven matches (Oct. 7-28) during senior Brandi Donnelly's injury, totaling 101 digs for a 3.74 digs per set average from
- Registered a career-high with 24 digs at No. 5 Minnesota (10/25).
- Led the Illini with 19 digs at Iowa (10/20).
- Posted a team-high 14 digs to go along with two aces against Maryland (10/14).
- Reached double figures with 12 digs in a win over Indiana (10/7).
- Equaled her season-high with three aces in a win at Rutgers (10/1).
- Totaled 15 digs and two aces against Colorado (9/9).
- Led the Illini with five aces and ranked second on the team with 18 digs at the Cardinal Classic.
- Registered a career-high with three aces at Louisville (9/2).
- Made a strong debut for the Illini with 16 digs at the Bobcat Classic, including a weekend-high seven against Gonzaga (8/25), as well as two aces against Montana State (8/26).
High School
- PrepVolleyball.com All-American Special Mention and IHSA All-State First-Team as a junior.
- Named a Max Preps All-American as a sophomore.
- Two-time North Suburban All-Conference.
- North Suburban All-Conference Honorable Mention as a freshman.
- Two-time Daily Herald/Lake County All-Area.
- Daily Herald/Lake County All-Area Honorable Mention as a freshman.
- Two-time Pioneer Press All-Area Girls Volleyball Team.
- Helped her team to the Illinois State Runner-Up in Class 4A as a sophomore.
- Named the Libertyville High School MVP as a junior.
- Set the school record for digs as a senior.
- Earned the Community High School District 128 Distinguished Student Award and High School Hardest Working Award as a sophomore.
Personal
- Born on May 15, 1999
- Daughter of Tammy and Chris O’Brien
- Has three older siblings, McKenzie, Mason and Madison, and a German Shepherd named Mercy
- Majoring in elementary education
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Thursday, January 30
