WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Returning AVCA First Team All-American Grace Cleveland and All-America Honorable Mention Hayley Bush received All-Big Ten preseason honors, announced by the conference office.
Cleveland was a unanimous selection, joining Sydney Hilley (Wisconsin), Emily Londot (Ohio State), Dana Rettke (Wisconsin) and Stephanie Samedy (Minnesota) as one of just five to receive the honor.
Bush, a setter out of Union, Kentucky, and Cleveland, an outside hitter from Bloomington, Illinois, were both First Team All-Big Ten selections following the spring season.
In tandem, the Big Ten announced the preseason poll, which Boilermakers were slotted to finish No. 5 in the league.
The Boilermakers currently rank eighth in the AVCA preseason coaches poll, one of four Big Ten programs to be ranked in the top eight. The entire lineup returns for the fall season, including four AVCA Third Team All-American Caitlyn Newton, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and All-America Honorable Mention Jena Otec as well as VolleyballMag.com All-America Honorable Mention Taylor Trammell.
Both the preseason honors and poll were voted on by league head coaches.
GRACE CLEVELAND
SPRING 2021 / AS A JUNIOR
HAYLEY BUSH
SPRING 2021 / AS A REDSHIRT JUNIOR
Cleveland was a unanimous selection, joining Sydney Hilley (Wisconsin), Emily Londot (Ohio State), Dana Rettke (Wisconsin) and Stephanie Samedy (Minnesota) as one of just five to receive the honor.
Bush, a setter out of Union, Kentucky, and Cleveland, an outside hitter from Bloomington, Illinois, were both First Team All-Big Ten selections following the spring season.
In tandem, the Big Ten announced the preseason poll, which Boilermakers were slotted to finish No. 5 in the league.
The Boilermakers currently rank eighth in the AVCA preseason coaches poll, one of four Big Ten programs to be ranked in the top eight. The entire lineup returns for the fall season, including four AVCA Third Team All-American Caitlyn Newton, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and All-America Honorable Mention Jena Otec as well as VolleyballMag.com All-America Honorable Mention Taylor Trammell.
Both the preseason honors and poll were voted on by league head coaches.
GRACE CLEVELAND
SPRING 2021 / AS A JUNIOR
- AVCA First Team All-America
- VolleyballMag.com First Team All-America
- First Team All-Big Ten
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Saw action in every set after missing the first two weeks due to injury (started 19 matches)
- The sixth Boilermaker ever to be named First Team All-American and first since Sherridan Atkinson in 2018
- Closed out the season with 1.39 blocks per set, the sixth-highest mark in program history. The last time a Boilermaker recorded more was Stephanie (Lynch) Harpanau in 2008
- Ranks 19th in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten in blocks per set (1.39)
- Her 100 total blocks check in at No. 16 in the nation
- Produced 233 kills this season and ranked No. 10 in the Big Ten with 3.24 kills per set
- Registered the ninth-most points in the Big Ten with 4.05 points per set
- Recorded 15 double-digit kill matches in the spring season, including a double-double at then-No. 8 Ohio State (17 kills, 11 digs, 6 block assists)
- Was one shy of a triple double in the victory at #10 Penn State (11 kills, 10 total blocks, nine digs)
- Second on the team with 291.5 points and kills 233
- Led Purdue outside hitters with a .295 hitting efficiency
- Hit two or fewer errors in 10 matches, including an errorless match vs. Indiana (2/28/21) to help Purdue win the Monon Spike
- Hit a season-best .567 at #24 Michigan (2/14/21) with 19 kills and two errors on 30 swings
- Recorded double-digit kills in all but four matches
- Saw 18 receptions in the victory at #10 Penn State (3/5/21) on her way to a perfect reception rate
HAYLEY BUSH
SPRING 2021 / AS A REDSHIRT JUNIOR
- AVCA All-America Honorable Mention
- VolleyballMag.com Third Team All-America
- First Team All-Big Ten
- Academic All-Big Ten honoree
- Big Ten Setter of the Week, 2/15/21 and 3/29/21
- Became the sixth setter in program history to receive All-America honors
- Led the Big Ten with 899 assists
- Set a career-high seven kills at Michigan (2/14/21)
- Recorded a career-high 22 digs vs. Minnesota (2/6/21)
- Recorded 14 double-doubles in Spring 2021
- Produced 50 assists and 21 digs in the four-set victory over No. 10-seeded and #16 ranked Oregon in the NCAA Regional Semifinals (
- Averaged 10.70 assists per set over the season, good for fourth in the Big Ten
- Recorded 245 digs in 22 matches
- Ended the season ranked eighth in program history with 3,622 career assists