Northwestern University Athletics
Nobilio, Moffett Garner All-Big Ten Conference Honors
11/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 30, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the first time in two decades, Northwestern has a pair of players recognized among the Big Ten Conference's best. Senior libero Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) has been named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, while junior middle blocker Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) has been named to the All-Big Ten team as announced on the Big Ten Network's Women's Show.
"It's a big moment in my tenure here at Northwestern," said head coach Keylor Chan. "It's the first time we've had two players honored since I've been here and I think it's a huge step for this program."
Nobilio becomes the first player in Wildcat history to be named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year. A three-time Defensive Player of the Week, she closed out her impressive Northwestern career with 2,194 digs, which ranks second all-time in Big Ten history. In 2009, Nobilio notched her fourth-straight 500-dig season, finishing with 529 on the year and leading the conference with 4.60 digs per set. She closes out her career as Northwestern's single match (38 at Illinois in 2008), single-season (603 in 2007) and career dig leader, and hold four of the top-five single-season records in program history.
"Kate was very deserving of the Defensive Player of the Year," said Chan. "She led the conference in digs and finished the season the second-most decorated libero in Big Ten history. I couldn't think of a better way for her to be honored for what she has meant to this program."
Moffett becomes the first Wildcat since Erika Lange in 2003 to be named an All-Big Ten selection. Her 398 kills and 165 blocks led Northwestern, as her 137 block assists and 165 total blocks both rank third all-time in a single season in program history. Moffett, who led the conference in both solo blocks (28) and total blocks, ranks fifth in the Big Ten in blocks per set (1.40) and sixth in kills per set (3.37), hitting percentage (.349) and points per set (4.25). Her .349 hitting percentage is also a new single-season program record, surpassing Erika Lange's .343 in 2002.
"Sabel has been incredible for us all year," Chan said. "She has been our most productive player and has been able establish herself as one of the top middle blockers in the conference, if not the country. We couldn't have asked her to do anything more than she did for us this season."
It marks the first time since Shelley Brzozowski and Stephanie Kammes both received All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition in 1989 that two Wildcats have received All-Big Ten honors. It is a fitting accomplishment for a Northwestern team that not only doubled its win total from last year (eight in 2008 to 16 in 2009) but also finished sixth in one of the nation's top conferences, marking the program's highest placing since a similar sixth-place finish in 2005.
2009 Big Ten Conference Volleyball Awards
Player of the Year
Megan Hodge, Penn State
Defensive Player of the Year
Kate Nobilio, Northwestern
Freshman of the Year
Darcy Dorton, Penn State
Coach of the Year
Russ Rose, Penn State
All-Big Ten Conference Team
Johannah Bangert, Illinois
Laura DeBruler, Illinois
Hillary Haen, Illinois
Ashley Benson, Indiana
Juliana Paz, Michigan
Lexi Zimmerman, Michigan
Kyndra Abron, Michigan State
Lauren Gibbemeyer, Minnesota
Sabel Moffett, Northwestern
Katie Dull, Ohio State
Blair Brown, Penn State
Alisha Glass, Penn State
Megan Hodge, Penn State
Arielle Wilson, Penn State
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention
Michelle Bartsch, Illinois
Alex Hunt, Michigan
Christine Tan, Minnesota
Kate Nobilio, Northwestern
Kristen Dozier, Ohio State
Tiffany Fisher, Purdue
Brittney Dolgner, Wisconsin
All-Freshman Team
Erin Johnson, Illinois
Jordan Haverly, Indiana
Tabitha Love, Minnesota
Darcy Dorton, Penn State
Ariel Turner, Purdue
Alexis Mitchell, Wisconsin
