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The Bull Run All-Decade Volleyball Team

The entire Bull Run volleyball staff recently gathered at casa Miller to pick the UB All-Decade Volleyball team, and over some cold frosty glasses of water, we discussed and voted. The selections were all unanimous (which may be due to the fact that only one person was present).

The rules:

  • A player must have played at least one year at UB from 2010 to the present.
  • No extra credit was given for players with the same first name as this author
First Team
Outside Hitter:
  • Tahleia Bishop (2012–2014), the only Bull to be named twice to the All-MAC First Team (as a sophomore and junior), Bishop was third in the MAC in kills per set at 3.67 as a sophomore in 2013, and then 2nd in the MAC at 4.13 kills per set as a junior. She played her senior season at Coastal Carolina, earning the Atlantic Sun Conference Newcomer of the Year award, and played in the NCAA tournament. She also played internationally for Jamaica.
  • Andrea Mitrovic (2017–2018) was named to the All-Freshman team in 2017 and then led the MAC in kills per set (4.31) and points per set (4.81) and was named First Team All-MAC in 2018. She set the UB record for kills in a match with 34 against Kent State in 2018. Ohio coach Deane Webb said he thought Mitrovic was a future MAC Player of the Year, but she transferred to Arizona State for the 2019 season, and led the Sun Devils in kills per set and points per set. Mitrovic plays internationally for Team Canada.
Middle Blocker:
  • Cassie Shado (2014–2017) is the only Bull player to have four All-MAC awards, making the All-MAC Freshman team, then All-MAC Second Team as a sophomore and junior, and then All-MAC First Team as a senior. Shado led the MAC in hitting percentage at 0.400 in 2016 (only the second Bull to ever hit 0.400 and the only one to lead the MAC in that category) and led the MAC again in that category in 2017. As a freshman, she almost led the MAC in blocks per set, missing out on that honor by 0.01 blocks per set.
  • Kristina Nieves (2017–2019) was named Second Team All-MAC in 2018 and finished in the top 10 in blocks per set that year. She led the Bulls in hitting percentage and blocks per set that year.
Right Side:
  • Liz Scott (2011–2014) was named to the All-MAC Freshman team and the All-MAC Second Team during her sophomore year. She led the Bulls in points and kills per set both years, but only played briefly as a junior due to injuries. She did not play her senior year.
Libero/Defensive Specialist:
  • Kelly Svoboda (2010-2013) is the only UB player to earn an individual MAC award, being named MAC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, when she averaged a jaw-dropping 5.66 digs per set to lead the MAC and finish 5th in the nation. To put this in perspective, no other UB libero this decade averaged even 4.0 digs per set. She had 43 digs against Toledo that year, which is the UB record during the rally scoring era; as Chris Berman would say, "I remember because I was there".
Setter:
  • Scout McLerran (2016-2019) was the setter on the three most successful MAC teams in UB Volleyball history from 2017 to 2019. Adjusting for rules changes, McLerran is the UB all-time leader in assists and assists per set during the rally scoring era.
Second Team
Outside Hitter: Polina Prokudina (2017–2019) and Megan Lipski (2012–2015)
Middle Blocker: Megan Wernette (2015–2018) and Carissa McKenna (2010–2013)
Right Side: Prokudina, who played one year at the position
Libero: Lara Bickelhaupt (2017–2018)
Setter: Dani Reinert (2010–2013)

Player of the Decade
This is a tough one, and there was a lot of debate (even though there was only one voter, I argued with myself) between Shado, McLerran and Svoboda. Bishop and Mitrovic were also in the running, but as they didn't play four years at UB, I decided to stop considering them for the honor. How do you pick between a MAC Defensive Player of the Year (Svoboda), a four time All-MAC honoree (Shado), and the all time leader in assists (McLerran)? But in the end, the only player for whom I use the phrase "jaw-dropping", and the only player who was "5th in the nation" was Svoboda, who gets the honor by a hair over Shado in 2nd place and McLerran in 3rd place.

Play of the Decade
Hannah Watson, diving over the scorer's table ("doing a Jeter") to save a point against Akron in 2017.


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