ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following a breakout redshirt sophomore season, middle blocker Katie Myers earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, the conference announced Wednesday.

Myers excelled in nearly every aspect of the game, ranking first on the team in hitting percentage (.395), aces/set (0.38), and blocks/set (1.29), all marks that ranked among the top five of the conference. Myers was one of only two players in the Big Ten to rank among the top five in all three categories (Dana Rettke, Wisconsin).

"Katie has done an incredible job of coming back from injury and putting in a lot of hard work to get to where she is," Head Coach Adam Hughes said. "It's great to see her effort being rewarded among the best players in the country. Myself and our staff couldn't be more excited for her."

Myers, who helped Maryland to its most team blocks since 2013, emerged as one of the Big Ten's premier blockers during the 2019 campaign. The Westerville, Ohio native ranked first in the conference with 156 total blocks and was the only player at a power five institution to record nine-plus blocks in five matches on the season.

The redshirt sophomore, who missed the first two years of her college career with back-to-back knee injuries, was also clinical on the attack, setting the second-best single-season hitting pct. in program history. Her mark of .395 was the 11th-best clip in the NCAA, while her .640 hitting pct. at Northwestern (Oct. 23) was the eighth-highest in a conference match this season.

Myers, who led the Big Ten in total aces (53) and aces/set (0.46) in 2018, finished the season as one of the conference's best servers again in 2019. Myers led the team with 46 total aces and 0.39 aces/set, ranking second and third in the conference, respectively. Myers tallied four-plus aces in three separate matches this season, one of eight players in the conference – and the only middle blocker – to do so.

Myers' selection to the All-Big Ten First Team is Maryland's second First Team honor in as many years (Erika Pritchard, 2018). Last year, Pritchard became Maryland's first-ever player to earn First Team recognition since joining the conference in 2014, and Maryland's first player to receive a place on the First Team in the Big Ten or ACC since 2005. Earlier in the season, Myers was named to the All-Tournament team at all four non-conference tournaments Maryland competed in.

Senior setter Taylor Smith was named Maryland's Sportsmanship Award Honoree. Smith served as Maryland's primary setter her freshman campaign and has contributed in her senior campaign as a setter, service specialist and outside hitter.

The 2019 All-Big Ten Volleyball team consists of 31 student-athletes from the conference, 18 on the First Team and 13 on the Second Team. Dana Rettke of Wisconsin was named the Big Ten Player of the Year.

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