Michigan State University Athletics
Jenilee Rathje Earns AVCA Mideast Honorable Mention Honors
12/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 7, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - As announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) today, Dec. 7, Michigan State volleyball red-shirt junior Jenilee Rathje (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) has been named as an All-Mideast Region honorable mention. Rathje, along with junior Kyndra Abron (Livonia, Mich.) who received All-Mideast Region honors in 2009, gives MSU its first back-to-back honorees since 2003 and 2004 when Kim Schram won it following both seasons.
Rathje 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 ended 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. Earlier this month, Rathje become just the sixth in Michigan State history to receive First-Team All-Big Ten honors as a junior.
