Witt Named Top Libero To Lead Volleyball's BIG EAST Awards Haul

OMAHA, Neb. -- Sophomore Brittany Witt was named Libero of the Year to lead a group of five Creighton Volleyball players who earned All-Conference honors from the BIG EAST on Wednesday morning. Witt joined Lydia Dimke, Marysa Wilkinson and Jaali Winters as First Team All-Conference honorees, while Taryn Kloth was voted Second Team All-BIG EAST for the four-time BIG EAST champions.

This year is the first time in program history that Creighton has had four First Team All-Conference honorees, as the club had three selections five times previously (2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016). The five overall honorees ties a team-best first done in 2016, when CU had three First Teamers and a pair of Second Teamers.

A sophomore from Omaha, Witt was named First Team All-Conference and Libero of the Year after leading the BIG EAST in digs per set in league play. Witt earned five Defensive Player of the Week honors during the season and also ranks among the league leaders in service aces. Witt is the second player in program history to be named Libero of the Year, joining fellow Marian grad Julianne Mandolfo's MVC Libero of the Year selection in 2011.

Dimke is a senior setter from Ham Lake, Minn. The 2016 BIG EAST Player of the Year was recognized with First Team All-Conference honors for the second time in as many seasons. Dimke ranks second in the BIG EAST with 10.76 assists per set while setting the Bluejays to a league-best .279 hitting percentage.

Wilkinson earns First Team All-BIG EAST acclaim for the first time after being a Second Team pick in 2016. The senior middle blocker from Lincoln, Neb., leads Creighton with 0.95 blocks per set and a .369 hitting percentage. Wilkinson ranks in the top-10 in CU history in both hitting percentage and blocks.

A junior outside hitter from Ankeny, Iowa, Winters was CU's lone unanimous pick on the BIG EAST's All-Conference First Team. She joins Megan Bober, Korie Lebeda and Melissa Walsh as CU's fourth player in history to earn three First Team All-Conference accolades, but is the first to do so in the BIG EAST era. Winters was the only player to earn Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week recognition in 2017 and she ranks among the league leaders in both kills and digs per set.

Last but not least, Kloth picked up Second Team All-BIG EAST recognition after being a First Team pick a year ago. Kloth ranks second on the team in kills per set, doing so while hitting .264. Kloth is a junior outside hitter from Sioux Falls, S.D.

All five Creighton honorees earned All-East Region attention last year from the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Marquette took home three of the league's top four honors. Sophomore Allie Barber was named Player of the Year, Hope Werch was named Freshman of the Year and Ryan Theis and staff were named Coaching Staff of the Year.

No. 17 Creighton (23-6, 16-2 BIG EAST) opens play at the BIG EAST Championships, presented by Jeep, on Friday at 12:30 p.m. when it faces fourth-seeded Villanova in a match that will air on BEDN. The winner advances to Saturday's 1:30 p.m. title match. Creighton has won each of the last three BIG EAST Championships.

2017 Volleyball All-BIG EAST Team and Major Awards
BIG EAST Player of the Year
Allie Barber, Marquette, So., OH

BIG EAST Libero of the Year
Brittany Witt, Creighton, So., L

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Hope Werch, Marquette, Fr., OH

BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Marquette (Head Coach Ryan Theis)

All-BIG EAST First Team ^
Makayla Ferguson, Butler, Sr., S
Bri Lilly, Butler, Jr., MB
Anna Logan, Butler, Jr., OH *
Lydia Dimke, Creighton, Sr., S
Marysa Wilkinson, Creighton, Sr., MB
Jaali Winters, Creighton, Jr., OH *
Brittany Witt, Creighton, So., L
Symone Speech, Georgetown, Jr., MB
Allie Barber, Marquette, So., OH *
Jenna Rosenthal, Marquette, RS-Jr., MH
Erica DiMaulo, St. John's, So., S
Abby Thelen, Seton Hall, Jr., OH
Allie Loitz, Villanova, Sr., OH

All-BIG EAST Second Team
Taryn Kloth, Creighton, Jr., OH
Brittany Maxwell, DePaul, Jr., RS
Lauren Speckman, Marquette, So., S
Addison Root, Providence, So., OH
Amanda Pedersen-Henry, Villanova, Jr., MB

* - denotes a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team
^ - there is a 13-member All-BIG EAST First Team and five-member All-BIG EAST Second Team due to voting policy

Witt Named Top Libero To Lead Volleyball's BIG EAST Awards Haul

Players Mentioned

Lydia Dimke

Taryn Kloth

Marysa Wilkinson

Jaali Winters

Brittany Witt

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