Top Elevator: Princeton's McReynolds Dubbed Libero of the Year

The Collegiate Volleyball Update (CVU) is pleased to announce its selection of Princeton's Jenny McReynolds as the 2005 CVU.com Libero of the Year.

A junior from Del Mar, Calif., McReynolds led the nation by averaging 6.83 digs per game, tallying 574 total digs over the course of 81 games.

McReynolds also had the highest single-match digs total this season, elevating an Ivy League record 54 digs in a 3-1 victory over Dartmouth. That week alone she averaged 10.25 digs per game on her way to CVU Player of the Week honors.

Also in CVU's top five are Amanda McCormick (Ball State), Paula Gentil (Minnesota), Debora Seilhamer (USC) and Marie Dobrenz (College of Charleston).

The only other libero to earn CVU Player of the Week honors this season, McCormick tallied more than 30 digs nine times, including a career-high 43 against Eastern Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. She also had 37 digs in a three-game victory over Toledo, following up a 35-dig night. For that week she averaged 9.0 digs per game en route to earning the CVU weekly honor.

Making her second appearance on the list, Gentil dropped a bit in the digs per game rankings, but still maintained one of the top efficiencies in the country. The Minnesota senior scooped 637 balls on the season and averaged 5.57 digs per game.

Finishing just behind McReynolds (in fact, only one dig) in the NCAA rankings, Seilhamer averaged 6.82 digs per game for the Women of Troy. The junior finished the year with 696 total digs.

Helping her team to CVU top digging honors, Dobrenz averaged 6.23 digs per game for the College of Charleston, lifting 691 total on the season. The junior improved by nearly a dig per game over the previous season and had at least 30 digs four different times. Her biggest match was a history-maker, though, as Dobrenz turned in a school-record 47 digs in helping the Cougars' to their first-ever (and the first by a Southern Conference team) win in the NCAA Tournament, a 3-1 victory over North Carolina.

Libero of the Year

Jenny McReynolds, Princeton

Honorable Mentions

• Amanda McCormick, Ball State
• Paula Gentil, Minnesota
• Debora Seilhamer, USC
• Marie Dobrenz, College of Charleston

To aid selection, player stats were used. Rather than strictly using digs per game, a formula was developed to find an approximate efficiency. An average number of attempts received per game was figured, and by using that, an approximate efficiency was calculated. Further, a player's service receive errors were also including in the figures to come up with the final numbers.

For more information on the methods used, to provide input, or help develop these methods, please contact CVU here. Feedback is welcome.

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