Minnesota redshirt senior opposite Stephanie Samedy has been named the Big Ten Player of the Year for the second straight season, the conference office announced today. Samedy is the first Gopher and fourth Big Ten player ever to win the award in consecutive years.
Samedy, along with senior libero CC McGraw, earned First Team All-Big Ten honors. Sophomore outside Jenna Wenaas earned her first All-Big Ten honor, making the second team. Redshirt senior outside Airi Miyabe garnered Minnesota’s Sportsmanship Award.
Samedy had a sensational fifth year in Minnesota, leading the Big Ten and ranking in the top 15 nationally in both points (5.39) and kills (4.84) per set. Five times this season she was named Big Ten Player of the Week. She earned AVCA Player of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week one time each in 2021. Samedy improved in every area of her game from last year, posting career-highs in points, kills and digs per set (3.75). She ranks No. 3 all-time at Minnesota in matches played (141) and attempts (5,145). No. 4 in kills (1,969), No. 7 in digs (1,502) and No. 15 in blocks (402).
It’s the eighth time in program history that the Gophers have had the Big Ten Player of the Year. Of the eight, five have come under head coach Hugh McCutcheon. A Gopher has taken home the Big Ten Player of the Year award in five of the last seven seasons. In addition to Samedy winning in 2020-21 and 2021, Samantha Seliger-Swenson took home the award in 2018, Sarah Wilhite won in 2016 and Daly Santana earned player of the year honors in 2015. Only Penn State (14) has had more Big Ten Player of the Year awards all-time than Minnesota.
Senior libero CC McGraw’s fabulous season landed her on the All-Big Ten First Team for the second time in her career (2019). McGraw led the Gophers and ranked second in the Big Ten with 4.72 digs per set. She was the only Gopher to play in every single set this season. McGraw topped her previous season-best of 4.39 digs per set (2020-21) and had a Big Ten-best three matches with 30+ digs in 2021. The rest of the conference combined had four players eclipse the 30-dig mark this season. She ranks No. 5 all-time in digs at Minnesota (1,530) and plans to return to the ‘U’ in 2022.
Jenna Wenaas, a sophomore outside from Frisco, Texas, was named Second Team All-Big Ten after a breakout season that saw her average 3.29 kills and 2.60 digs per set. She ranked second on the team with 336 kills and combined with Stephanie Samedy to form the most productive attacking duo in the Big Ten Conference. Wenaas reached double digit kills in 21 of 27 matches and tallied nine double doubles in 2021. One of her most memorable performances was a 22-kill, 19-dig outing (both then career-highs) in a five set win over Nebraska on Oct. 30.
Minnesota opens postseason play on Friday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. Central time against South Dakota. The Gophers would play the winner of Iowa State and Stanford in the second round on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT if they’re able to get past USD.
GOPHERS TO WIN BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
1983: Martie Larsen
2000: Nicole Branagh
2003: Cassie Busse
2015: Daly Santana
2016: Sarah Wilhite
2018: Samantha Seliger-Swenson
2020-21: Stephanie Samedy
2021: Stephanie Samedy
Big Ten Players of the Year By School (Since 1983):
Penn State: 14
Minnesota: 8
Ohio State: 6
Wisconsin: 5
Illinois: 4
Purdue: 3
Nebraska: 1
FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
Megan Cooney, Grad., OH/OPP, Illinois
Rainelle Jones, Sr., MB, Maryland
Jess Mruzik, So., OH, Michigan
Sarah Franklin, So., OH, Michigan State
CC McGraw, Sr., L/DS, Minnesota
STEPHANIE SAMEDY, RS-Sr., OPP, Minnesota
Madi Kubik, Jr., OH,Nebraska
Lexi Rodriguez, Fr., L/DS, Nebraska
Lauren Stivrins, Sr., MB, Nebraska
Temi Thomas-Ailara, Jr., OH,
Northwestern Mac Podraza, Jr., S, Ohio State
RYLEE RADER, So., MB, Ohio State
Kaitlyn Hord, Sr., MB, Penn State
Jonni Parker, Sr., RS, Penn State
Hayley Bush, RS-Sr., S, Purdue
Grace Cleveland, Sr., OH, Purdue
Caitlyn Newton, RS-Sr., OH, Purdue
SYDNEY HILLEY, Grad., S, Wisconsin
DANA RETTKE, Grad., MB, Wisconsin
ALL CAPS denotes unanimous selection
Additional members named to team due to ties
SECOND TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
Courtney Buzzerio, Sr., RS, Iowa
Jenna Wenaas, So., OH, Minnesota
Nicklin Hames, Sr., S, Nebraska
Emily Londot, So., OPP, Ohio State
Jenna Hampton, Sr., L/DS, Penn State
Jena Otec, RS-Sr., L/DS, Purdue
Lauren Barnes, Grad., L/DS, Wisconsin
Devyn Robinson, So., MB/RS, Wisconsin
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Milan Gomillion, L/DS, Maryland
Jacque Boney, MB, Michigan
Lindsay Krause, OH, Nebraska
LEXI RODRIGUEZ, L/DS, Nebraska
ARICA DAVIS, MB, Ohio State
Raven Colvin, MB, Purdue
JULIA ORZOŁ, OH, Wisconsin
Player of the Year: Stephanie Samedy, RS-Sr., Minnesota
Defensive Player of the Year: Lexi Rodriguez, Fr., L/DS, Nebraska
Setter of the Year: Sydney Hilley, Grad., Wisconsin
Freshman of the Year: Julia Orzol, OH, Wisconsin
Coach of the Year (Coaches & Media): Dave Shondell, Purdue
SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Jessica Nunge, Jr., OH/RS, Illinois
Kaley Rammelsberg, Jr., MB, Indiana
Bailey Ortega, So., S, Iowa
Maddie Naumann, Sr., DS, Maryland
Hannah Grant, RS-So., L/DS, Michigan
Rebecka Poljan, Sr., MB, Michigan State
Airi Miyabe, RS-Sr., OH, Minnesota
Kayla Caffey, Sr., MB, Nebraska
Natalie Chizzo, So., OH, Northwestern
Hannah Gruensfelder, Sr., L/DS, Ohio State
Annie Cate Fitzpatrick, So., OH, Penn State
Marissa Hornung, Sr., DS, Purdue
Shealyn McNamara, Sr., MB, Rutgers
Grace Loberg, Sr., OH, Wisconsin
(info and photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)