Marquette University Athletics
MU Trio Named to Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
1/20/2021 2:04:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Golden Eagles Chosen Second in BIG EAST Midwest Division
NEW YORK—As the spring 2021 volleyball season gets underway, the BIG EAST Conference has released its annual preseason coaches poll and preseason All-BIG EAST team. Sophomore Hannah Vanden Berg and seniors Hope Werch and Taylor Wolf have been chosen to the preseason team, while the Golden Eagles were picked second in the league's Midwest division.
Vanden Berg, a 2019 All-BIG EAST Freshman team pick, returns as an outside hitter for Marquette where she averaged 2.03 kills per set and hit a .253 hitting percentage in her first year on the court for the Golden Eagles.
As a unanimous choice to the preseason squad, Werch will provide senior leadership for MU and was an All-BIG EAST selection and a member of the AVCA All-East Coast Region team in 2019. She is the top returner for the Golden Eagles after averaging 2.82 kills per set and 2.70 digs per set last fall.
Wolf transfers to Marquette from in-state school Green Bay where she earned numerous accolades in her career, including AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and two-time Horizon League Player of the Year. She averaged 4.45 kills per set in 2019.
MU was chosen second in the Midwest Division with two first place votes, just behind Creighton with three first-place votes and 15 points. Rounding out the Midwest Division is DePaul (8 points). Xavier (7 points) and Butler (6 points). Both Marquette and Creighton are nationally ranked in the AVCA preseason poll, ranking 20th and 15th, respectively.
Conference play for BIG EAST volleyball this season will start Feb. 19. The teams will play divisionally until the championship, where the top two seeds from the East will play the top two seeds from the Midwest.
Coaches cast votes only for their respective divisions for the preseason polls. Preseason Player of the Year and all-conference selections were based on ballots cast by all of the league's head coaches, regardless of division. Coaches cannot vote for their own team or student-athletes.
Preseason BIG EAST Volleyball Honors
Preseason BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Year
Efrosini Alexakou, St. John's, Jr., OH
Preseason All-BIG EAST *
(listed alphabetically by institution, then last name)
Melody Davidson, Butler, R-Jr., MB
Keeley Davis, Creighton, So., OH
Erica Kostelac, Creighton, Sr., OH
Jaela Zimmerman, Creighton, Jr., OH ^
Donna Brown, DePaul. Jr., MH ^
Hannah Vanden Berg, Marquette, So., OH
Hope Werch, Marquette, Sr., OH ^
Taylor Wolf, Marquette, Sr., RS/Setter
Jennifer Leitman, Providence, So., OH
Efrosini Alexakou, St. John's, Jr., OH ^
Rachele Rastelli, St. John's, Jr. RS ^
Sophia Howling, Villanova, RS-Jr., MH
Lauren Hanlon, Xavier, RS-So., RS
Preseason Coaches' Polls
First-place votes in ()
Vanden Berg, a 2019 All-BIG EAST Freshman team pick, returns as an outside hitter for Marquette where she averaged 2.03 kills per set and hit a .253 hitting percentage in her first year on the court for the Golden Eagles.
As a unanimous choice to the preseason squad, Werch will provide senior leadership for MU and was an All-BIG EAST selection and a member of the AVCA All-East Coast Region team in 2019. She is the top returner for the Golden Eagles after averaging 2.82 kills per set and 2.70 digs per set last fall.
Wolf transfers to Marquette from in-state school Green Bay where she earned numerous accolades in her career, including AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and two-time Horizon League Player of the Year. She averaged 4.45 kills per set in 2019.
MU was chosen second in the Midwest Division with two first place votes, just behind Creighton with three first-place votes and 15 points. Rounding out the Midwest Division is DePaul (8 points). Xavier (7 points) and Butler (6 points). Both Marquette and Creighton are nationally ranked in the AVCA preseason poll, ranking 20th and 15th, respectively.
Conference play for BIG EAST volleyball this season will start Feb. 19. The teams will play divisionally until the championship, where the top two seeds from the East will play the top two seeds from the Midwest.
Coaches cast votes only for their respective divisions for the preseason polls. Preseason Player of the Year and all-conference selections were based on ballots cast by all of the league's head coaches, regardless of division. Coaches cannot vote for their own team or student-athletes.
Preseason BIG EAST Volleyball Honors
Preseason BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Year
Efrosini Alexakou, St. John's, Jr., OH
Preseason All-BIG EAST *
(listed alphabetically by institution, then last name)
Melody Davidson, Butler, R-Jr., MB
Keeley Davis, Creighton, So., OH
Erica Kostelac, Creighton, Sr., OH
Jaela Zimmerman, Creighton, Jr., OH ^
Donna Brown, DePaul. Jr., MH ^
Hannah Vanden Berg, Marquette, So., OH
Hope Werch, Marquette, Sr., OH ^
Taylor Wolf, Marquette, Sr., RS/Setter
Jennifer Leitman, Providence, So., OH
Efrosini Alexakou, St. John's, Jr., OH ^
Rachele Rastelli, St. John's, Jr. RS ^
Sophia Howling, Villanova, RS-Jr., MH
Lauren Hanlon, Xavier, RS-So., RS
Preseason Coaches' Polls
First-place votes in ()
| East Division | Midwest Division | ||
| 1. St. John's (4) | 16 pts. | 1. Creighton (3) | 15 pts. |
| 2. Villanova (1) | 13 | 2. Marquette (2) | 14 |
| 3. Connecticut | 8 | 3. DePaul | 8 |
| 4. Seton Hall | 7 | 4. Xavier | 7 |
| 5. Providence | 6 | 5. Butler | 6 |
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
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