Wolverine Trio Earns All-Big Ten Recognition
12/4/2019 2:00:00 PM | Volleyball
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- University of Michigan volleyball sophomore Paige Jones was a unanimous selection to the 2019 All-Big Ten first team, while senior MacKenzi Welsh also received an All-Big Ten first team selection, the conference announced Wednesday (Dec. 4). In addition, fifth-year Cori Crocker earned a second-team nod and the freshman duo of May Pertofsky and Jess Robinson were named to the All-Freshman Team. Senior Sydney Wetterstrom also earned postseason accolades as Michigan's Sportsmanship Award winner.
The five All-Big Ten honorees are the most in Michigan volleyball history, and marks just the fifth time the program has had two first-team honorees.
One of nine unanimous first team selection, Jones leads the Wolverines in kills (3.89 per set) and total aces (39), and was third on the team in digs (2.23). A native of New Bremen, Ohio, Jones earned one Big Ten Player of the Week selection during the 2019 regular season -- the first of her career. The sophomore outside hitter has started all 30 matches this season and has played every set as a six-rotation player, posting 10 kill-dig double-doubles and leading the Wolverines in kills 20 times. She also has totaled five 20-plus kill matches on the year, including a career-high 27 in a five-set loss to No. 16 Purdue (Nov. 27). Jones has showed improvement across the board in her second season, having more kills, digs and total blocks than a year ago. She also has improved her hitting percentage from .195 to .254.
In her final season with the Maize and Blue, Welsh conducted one of the Big Ten's best offenses as the Wolverines had the third-best attack percentage in the league (.269). The Bolingbrook, Illinois, native has divvied out the conference's third-best assists per set mark (11.05), and has eight 50-plus assists matches on the season. Thanks to Welsh, the Michigan offense is one of only three schools in the Big Ten that has five players averaging more than 1.85 kills per set. The setter has eight assist-dig double-doubles on the campaign and has already set a new career high in kills with 95. Welsh earns a first-team nod after being an All-Big Ten Freshman and All-Big Ten Honorable mention honoree in 2016.
Crocker has made her mark on the 2019 season with her efficient attack, finishing second in the Big Ten and fifth in the NCAA in attack percentage (.436) to land on the All-Big Ten second team. The fifth-year senior has played in 26 matches (25 starts), has a 1.86 kill per set average and leads the Wolverines in blocking with a 0.88 blocks-per-set average. The Brighton, Michigan, native has set new career highs in kills (14 at Northwestern) and attack percentage (12-1-15, .733 vs. Illinois) this season.
Pertofsky, a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week award winner, finished her inaugural campaign with the Wolverines tied for the team lead in aces per set (0.35), and with the team's third-best kills per set mark (2.37). The Los Angeles, California, native has started in 28 of Michigan's 30 matches, finishing with 244 kills, a .272 attack percentage, 36 aces, a team-leading 81 blocks and a 0.79 blocks-per-set average. Pertofsky had 11 double-digit kill performance on the season and earned a spot on the Michigan Invitational All-Tournament team.
Michigan's second Big Ten All-Freshman team honoree, Robinson, has been a steady contributor to the Wolverine lineup since day one. The Troy, Michigan, native has played in all 30 matches on the season and started in 28 of them, putting up a 1.99 kills-per-set average on the season. The middle blocker had seven matches of 10-plus kills on the season, highlighted by a record 13 against No. 5 Minnesota (Oct. 25). Robinson led Michigan in blocks a team-high 12 times on the season, including a season-high six in the Wolverines' regular-season finale against Indiana (Nov. 29).
In addition to Michigan's five All-Big Ten honors, Wetterstrom was recognized by the conference as the Wolverines' Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree. A native of Longmont, Colorado, Wetterstrom has started all 30 matches this season, doubled her career kill total (309), registered eight kill-dig double-doubles and ranks second on the team in kills per set (2.75) and digs per set (2.54).
In the specialty awards, Wisconsin's Dana Rettke was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, while her teammate Sydney Hilley earned the Setter of the Year honor. Penn State's Kendall White was once again named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and Nebraska outside hitter Madi Kubik was tabbed the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Penn State head coach Russ Rose was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by the coaches in the league, while Wisconsin head coach Kelly Sheffield earned the honor from the media.
Michigan (20-10) will make its 19th postseason appearance this weekend when it faces off against Northern Ketnucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday (Dec. 6). The match will take place at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and first serve is slated for 5 p.m. inside Memorial Coliseum.
