Top 10 Outside Hitters of NCAA Volleyball
Top 10 Outside Hitters of NCAA Volleyball
Outside hitters often carry the largest offensive loads for their volleyball teams. These 10 players are the best in their position so far in the 2016 college volleyball season.
In the past 20 years, 11 of the AVCA National Players of the Year have been outside hitters. Twelve have won, if you count the two straight seasons Logan Tom earned the honor in 2001 and 2002.
Outside hitters are the most versatile athletes on a team. They must be well-versed in defense and offense--able to bail their teams out of scramble plays with kills on less-than-perfect sets, and receive serve, block, play back-court defense, and serve.
These are the 10 most lethal, reliable, and all-around incredible outside hitters currently competing in NCAA volleyball.
Carli Snyder's .295 hitting percentage is impressive for a hitter who has taken 719 swings for her Florida squad so far in the 2016 season, but Snyder's contributions to the Gators' 2016 success don't begin and end with offensive firepower. The Macomb, Michigan, native's 196 digs (2.55/set) are second only to libero Caroline Knop on the Florida stats sheet.
Washington State 6-1 senior Kyra Holt has led the charge in every one of the Cougars' numerous upsets in 2016. With 422 points so far in the season, she leads the next highest points producer on the team by almost 150. Of those points, 362 are kills, and her blocks total is 66--one of the highest tallies among this list of elite outside hitters.
This year, the USD volleyball team has rivaled Washington State for the title of "most likely to upset a top-ranked opponent." Behind much of that success: 6-2 outside hitter Lisa Kramer. The redshirt senior leads her top 10-ranked team with 280 kills on 607 attempts and has maintained a .298 percentage.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/TheWtv/status/790678516211691520" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Junior Courtney Schwan leads the Huskies with 345 points, 4.06 points per set, 311 kills, 3.66 kills per set, and 764 attempts. Schwan holds her own defensively as well, with a team third-highest 242 on the season (2.85/set).
Baylor's all-star redshirt junior Katie Staiger ranks in the top 10 nationally in six different statistical categories (attacks per set, kills per set, points, points per set, total attacks, and total kills). The 6-1 Lewisville, Texas, native has collected 524 kills on 1,304 attempts, while still maintaining a .268 hitting percentage, not to mention smashing 25 aces from behind the service line. Her defensive stats (256 digs and 49 total blocks) are nothing to scoff at either.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BL9WYytjVKB/?taken-by=baylorvolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
Although still only a junior, Reily Buechler passed the 1,000 kills mark earlier this season. The Del Mar, California, native has 286 kills on 863 swings so far in the 2016 slate, as well as contributing 2.1 digs per set.
Even on a team known for its dynamic pin hitters, Micaya White stands out. In her first season on the floor with Texas, the redshirt freshman has collected 344 kills, hitting .277. A six-rotation player, White has kept play alive with 152 digs and stuffed 50 balls at the net.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/TexasVolleyball/status/793184100001603584" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Mikaela Foecke stunned the world of college volleyball when she took over the national championship match against Texas last December. Her 19 kills led Nebraska to the title and she earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honor. As a sophomore, it's more of the same, with Foecke hitting .304 with 219 kills for the talented and balanced and perpetual No. 1-ranked Huskers squad.
In Penn State's upset of then-No. 1 Minnesota on October 5, Simone Lee put away 30 kills. Although that marked a career high for the Wisconsin native, Lee has been the go-to hitter for the Nittany Lions throughout the 2016 season. Stepping up after the graduation of first team All-American Megan Courtney, Lee has 361 kills, hitting .283, as well as 132 digs and 43 blocks.
1. Sarah Wilhite, Senior, Minnesota
On a team as stacked as Minnesota, it takes a lot for a player to appear exceptional. But Sarah Wilhite contributes to her team's success in every way possible for an outside hitter. As one of the best defensive players on the Gophers roster, Wilhite has 45 blocks and 199 digs. The rest of her team-leading 4.64 points per set come from 341 kills (.295) and 20 aces.
Molly Haggerty, Wisconsin [242 k; 3.32 k/s; .222; 13 sa; 164 d; 2.24 d/s; 32 tb]
Paulina Prieto Cerame, Texas [279 k; 3.44 k/s; .265; 9 sa; 56 d; 0.69 d/s; 38 tb]
Tia Scambray, Washington [241 k; 2.84 k/s; .169; 18 sa; 264 d; 3.11 d/s; 63 tb]
Khalia Lanier, USC [359 k, 3.99 k/s; .207; 19 sa; 245 d; 2.72 d/s; 37 tb]
Lindsey Vander Weide, Oregon [281 k; 3.27 k/s; .278; 25 sa; 250 d; 2.91 d/s; 46 tb]
Kathryn Plummer, Stanford [292 k; 3.08 k/s; .261; 12 sa; 129 d; 1.52 d/s; 88 tb]
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Outside hitters are the most versatile athletes on a team. They must be well-versed in defense and offense--able to bail their teams out of scramble plays with kills on less-than-perfect sets, and receive serve, block, play back-court defense, and serve.
These are the 10 most lethal, reliable, and all-around incredible outside hitters currently competing in NCAA volleyball.
10. Carli Snyder, Junior, Florida
Carli Snyder's .295 hitting percentage is impressive for a hitter who has taken 719 swings for her Florida squad so far in the 2016 season, but Snyder's contributions to the Gators' 2016 success don't begin and end with offensive firepower. The Macomb, Michigan, native's 196 digs (2.55/set) are second only to libero Caroline Knop on the Florida stats sheet.
9. Kyra Holt, Senior, Washington State
Washington State 6-1 senior Kyra Holt has led the charge in every one of the Cougars' numerous upsets in 2016. With 422 points so far in the season, she leads the next highest points producer on the team by almost 150. Of those points, 362 are kills, and her blocks total is 66--one of the highest tallies among this list of elite outside hitters.
8. Lisa Kramer, Redshirt Senior, San Diego
This year, the USD volleyball team has rivaled Washington State for the title of "most likely to upset a top-ranked opponent." Behind much of that success: 6-2 outside hitter Lisa Kramer. The redshirt senior leads her top 10-ranked team with 280 kills on 607 attempts and has maintained a .298 percentage.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/TheWtv/status/790678516211691520" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
7. Courtney Schwan, Junior, Washington
Junior Courtney Schwan leads the Huskies with 345 points, 4.06 points per set, 311 kills, 3.66 kills per set, and 764 attempts. Schwan holds her own defensively as well, with a team third-highest 242 on the season (2.85/set).
6. Katie Staiger, Redshirt Junior, Baylor
Baylor's all-star redshirt junior Katie Staiger ranks in the top 10 nationally in six different statistical categories (attacks per set, kills per set, points, points per set, total attacks, and total kills). The 6-1 Lewisville, Texas, native has collected 524 kills on 1,304 attempts, while still maintaining a .268 hitting percentage, not to mention smashing 25 aces from behind the service line. Her defensive stats (256 digs and 49 total blocks) are nothing to scoff at either.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BL9WYytjVKB/?taken-by=baylorvolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
5. Reily Buechler, Junior, UCLA
Although still only a junior, Reily Buechler passed the 1,000 kills mark earlier this season. The Del Mar, California, native has 286 kills on 863 swings so far in the 2016 slate, as well as contributing 2.1 digs per set.
4. Micaya White, Redshirt Freshman, Texas
Even on a team known for its dynamic pin hitters, Micaya White stands out. In her first season on the floor with Texas, the redshirt freshman has collected 344 kills, hitting .277. A six-rotation player, White has kept play alive with 152 digs and stuffed 50 balls at the net.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/TexasVolleyball/status/793184100001603584" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
3. Mikaela Foecke, Sophomore, Nebraska
Mikaela Foecke stunned the world of college volleyball when she took over the national championship match against Texas last December. Her 19 kills led Nebraska to the title and she earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honor. As a sophomore, it's more of the same, with Foecke hitting .304 with 219 kills for the talented and balanced and perpetual No. 1-ranked Huskers squad.
2. Simone Lee, Junior, Penn State
In Penn State's upset of then-No. 1 Minnesota on October 5, Simone Lee put away 30 kills. Although that marked a career high for the Wisconsin native, Lee has been the go-to hitter for the Nittany Lions throughout the 2016 season. Stepping up after the graduation of first team All-American Megan Courtney, Lee has 361 kills, hitting .283, as well as 132 digs and 43 blocks.
1. Sarah Wilhite, Senior, Minnesota
On a team as stacked as Minnesota, it takes a lot for a player to appear exceptional. But Sarah Wilhite contributes to her team's success in every way possible for an outside hitter. As one of the best defensive players on the Gophers roster, Wilhite has 45 blocks and 199 digs. The rest of her team-leading 4.64 points per set come from 341 kills (.295) and 20 aces.
Honorable Mention:
Molly Haggerty, Wisconsin [242 k; 3.32 k/s; .222; 13 sa; 164 d; 2.24 d/s; 32 tb]
Paulina Prieto Cerame, Texas [279 k; 3.44 k/s; .265; 9 sa; 56 d; 0.69 d/s; 38 tb]
Tia Scambray, Washington [241 k; 2.84 k/s; .169; 18 sa; 264 d; 3.11 d/s; 63 tb]
Khalia Lanier, USC [359 k, 3.99 k/s; .207; 19 sa; 245 d; 2.72 d/s; 37 tb]
Lindsey Vander Weide, Oregon [281 k; 3.27 k/s; .278; 25 sa; 250 d; 2.91 d/s; 46 tb]
Kathryn Plummer, Stanford [292 k; 3.08 k/s; .261; 12 sa; 129 d; 1.52 d/s; 88 tb]
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