WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue volleyball team had a trio of players honored when the Big Ten Conference announced its postseason awards on Tuesday, as redshirt senior Sherridan Atkinson and redshirt junior Blake Mohler were honored as Big Ten selections and senior Erin Williams was chosen as Purdue's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.
The honor is the first for Mohler and Williams, while Atkinson also was an All-Big Ten selection in 2017. Atkinson and Mohler are Purdue's 10th and 11th first-team selections since 2010. The Boilermakers have had at least one individual honored as first team or honorable mention every year since 2003 and at least one first-team honoree each year since 2010.
One of the main catalysts for the Boilermakers, Atkinson recorded 525 kills through the regular season, the most kills by a Big Ten student-athlete this year. Her kill total ranks ninth in the NCAA and is the second-best performance by a Boilermaker in the last six years. Her mark is only second to Danielle Cuttino's 530 kills in 2016.
Pacing Atkinson's offensive effort were nine 20+ kill performance, including a career-high 32 kills against then-No. 4 Penn State. She also posted double-digit kill tallies in all but two of 31 matches this season and was the 17th Boilermaker in Purdue program history to notch 1,000 career kills.
In Big Ten play, Atkinson averaged 4.26 kills per set, third most in the league, while hitting at a .302 clip and adding 22 aces.
Mohler is the team's most efficient blocker, posting 131 blocks this season to mark the second year of Mohler's career that she guides the team in blocks. Averaging a team-best 1.06 blocks per set, the Ocean Springs, Mississippi, native ranks in the top half of the nation (160th) for blocks per set and 54th in total blocks this season.
Along with her defensive prowess, Mohler has also hit a team-best .353 hitting percentage, ranking among the top seven hitters in the Big Ten. Third on the team with 300 kills, she was also a two-time tournament MVP this season, earning the honor at Purdue's Stacey Clark Classic and Alabama's Crimson and White Tournament.
Williams has grown to become one of Purdue's most adored leaders. Registering a .250 hitting clip and a 0.58 blocks per set as a middle blocker, her energy on the court has elevated the play of her teammates these past two years. Boilermaker nation has grown to admire the effort and passion she plays with and her leadership will have an impact on this program for years to come.
The Boilermakers (23-8) continue their 2018 season at 5 p.m. ET Friday when they take on East Tennessee State in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament in Lexington, Kentucky. The match will broadcast live on ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app.
For the full list of 2018 All-Big Ten honorees click Here.
The honor is the first for Mohler and Williams, while Atkinson also was an All-Big Ten selection in 2017. Atkinson and Mohler are Purdue's 10th and 11th first-team selections since 2010. The Boilermakers have had at least one individual honored as first team or honorable mention every year since 2003 and at least one first-team honoree each year since 2010.
One of the main catalysts for the Boilermakers, Atkinson recorded 525 kills through the regular season, the most kills by a Big Ten student-athlete this year. Her kill total ranks ninth in the NCAA and is the second-best performance by a Boilermaker in the last six years. Her mark is only second to Danielle Cuttino's 530 kills in 2016.
Pacing Atkinson's offensive effort were nine 20+ kill performance, including a career-high 32 kills against then-No. 4 Penn State. She also posted double-digit kill tallies in all but two of 31 matches this season and was the 17th Boilermaker in Purdue program history to notch 1,000 career kills.
In Big Ten play, Atkinson averaged 4.26 kills per set, third most in the league, while hitting at a .302 clip and adding 22 aces.
Mohler is the team's most efficient blocker, posting 131 blocks this season to mark the second year of Mohler's career that she guides the team in blocks. Averaging a team-best 1.06 blocks per set, the Ocean Springs, Mississippi, native ranks in the top half of the nation (160th) for blocks per set and 54th in total blocks this season.
Along with her defensive prowess, Mohler has also hit a team-best .353 hitting percentage, ranking among the top seven hitters in the Big Ten. Third on the team with 300 kills, she was also a two-time tournament MVP this season, earning the honor at Purdue's Stacey Clark Classic and Alabama's Crimson and White Tournament.
Williams has grown to become one of Purdue's most adored leaders. Registering a .250 hitting clip and a 0.58 blocks per set as a middle blocker, her energy on the court has elevated the play of her teammates these past two years. Boilermaker nation has grown to admire the effort and passion she plays with and her leadership will have an impact on this program for years to come.
The Boilermakers (23-8) continue their 2018 season at 5 p.m. ET Friday when they take on East Tennessee State in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament in Lexington, Kentucky. The match will broadcast live on ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app.
For the full list of 2018 All-Big Ten honorees click Here.