We are a little over half way through the 2019 volleyball season, so why not take a look at the best players at every position right now. Since, there are so many, we decided to make an East and West All-Star team. We divided the country in half at the right border of Texas and Nebraska. Everything to the right of that line was considered the East.
So, that left teams include Stanford, Nebraska, Texas, Baylor, BYU in the West. And Minnesota, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, and Kentucky are in the East.
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WEST TEAM:
Outside hitter: Kathyrn Plummer
Outside hitter: Yossiana Pressley
Opposite/outside hitter: Micaya White
Middle Blocker: Lauren Stivrins
Setter: Jenna Gray
Defensive Specialist: Mary Lake
Libero: Morgan Hentz
Starting with the west hitters, we included Baylor's, Yossianna Pressley, Stanford’s, Kathryn Plummer and Micaya White from Texas. Pressley is averaging 5.86 kills per set. She is second in the country in that category. She is also pretty consistent, with a .330 hitting percentage, and she also adds a little over two digs per set. Plummer, the two-time AVCA Player of the Year, is averaging 5.18 kills per set for the Cardinal. Micaya White owns a little over 4 kills per set and a .301 hitting percentage. She’s also has the second most digs for the Longhorns.
Nebraska's Lauren Stivrins is the middle blocker for the West, she is not only a blocker but a powerful offensive weapon as well. The 2018 first team all-American adds in 2.48 kills per set, and a stunning .402 hitting percentage.
The setter is Stanford's Jenna Gray. Gray, Plummer's fellow teammate, averages 11.67 assists per set. She was first-team AVCA all-American last season, and has a pretty good case for that this year as well.
For the West's backcourt defense, BYU’s Mary Lake is the defensive specialist, she has 3.52 digs per set and is an all-around athlete, and Stanford’s Morgan Hentz is at libero. The 2018 first team all-American contributes 5.14 digs per set.
WATCH: BYU'S Mary Lake explains win over Stanford
EAST TEAM:
Outside hitter: Stephanie Samedy
Opposite: Jordan Thompson
Outside hitter: Kayla Lund
Middle blocker: Dana Rettke
Setter: Madison Lilley
Defensive Specialist: CC McGraw
Libero: Kendall White
Thompson is leading the entire country in kills per set. She also was on the US National team AND led the team in points in the Olympic qualifying tournament. To join her, Pittsburgh’s Kayla Lund is in the mix, she averages 3.68 kills per set, and had 23 kills in a match against Penn State. She also ranks second on Pitt’s team in digs. The last hitter for the East is Minnesota’s Stephanie Samedy. This 2018 first team All-American contributes 3.89 kills per set. Defensively, she has three digs per set and a little over one block per set.
WATCH: Jordan Thompson explains her record-breaking career
At the middle blocker position, who else but Dana Rettke. She was also a last season first team All American and was a shoe-in for the East middle blocker position. She leads her Wisconsin team with 4.09 kills per set, out scoring the outside hitters, and she’s the middle blocker. She’s also has an outstanding .402 hitting percentage.
Kentucky’s Madison Lilley would work with those four as the setter with a .411 hitting percentage and 11.29 assists per set.
Minnesota’s CC McGraw would be the defensive specialist and Penn State’s Kendall White the libero. McGraw has 4.24 digs per set, and White has 3.84. White was yet another 2018 first team all American.
