Michigan State University Athletics
Jenliee Rathje Named First-Team All-Big Ten
11/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 30, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - As announced by the Big Ten Conference today, Nov. 30, Michigan State volleyball red-shirt junior Jenilee Rathje (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) has been named to the First-Team All-Big Ten Team, becoming just the 14th different Spartan in school history to be honored as a first-team selection. Rathje becomes the school's first unanimous selection since Erin Hartley in 2001. Rathje's award also marks the 23rd first-team honor for the program. The 15-member First-Team All-Big Ten team includes nine seniors, five juniors and one freshman.
Rathje has been a solid attacker in the middle for the Spartans all season. The MSU red-shirt junior led the team in hitting percentage with a .340 clip, a mark which ranks 70th nationally and fifth in the conference at the end of the regular season. Her team-high hitting mark ranks seventh all-time by a Spartan for a single season performance. In the last match of the season, Rathje became just the 17th Spartan to amass 1,000 kills when she recorded eight against Northwestern.
Overall, Rathje ends the year ranked second in kills (297) and total blocks (94), fifth in aces (12) and seventh in digs (103). Within the conference, Rathje was the top offensive force for MSU with her team-best 213 kills and .332 hitting mark. Rathje was also third in total blocks with 51, fourth in aces with four and seventh in digs with 64. Rathje becomes just the sixth in Michigan State history to receive first-team honors as a junior.
Aside from being named First-Team All-Big Ten, Rathje is also MSU's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Rathje joins 10 other volleyball athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated strong citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
These student-athletes are now candidates for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the academic year.
All-Big Ten Team (Career)
Michelle Bartsch, Jr., OPP, ILL
Hillary Haen, Sr., S, ILL (2)
Colleen Ward, Jr., OH, ILL
ASHLEY BENSON, Sr., MB, IND (3)
ALEX HUNT, Jr., OH, MICH
LEXI ZIMMERMAN, Sr., S, MICH (3)
JENILEE RATHJE, Jr., MB, MSU
LAUREN GIBBEMEYER, Sr., MH, MINN (3)
Jessica Granquist, Jr., LIB, MINN
SABEL MOFFETT, Sr., MB, NU (2)
Katie Dull, Sr., OH, OSU (2)
BLAIR BROWN, Sr., RS, PSU (2)
Deja McClendon, Fr., OH, PSU
ARIELLE WILSON, Sr., MH, PSU (3)
JACLYN HART, Sr., S, PUR
Unanimous choices in ALL CAPS
