Londot Named Big Ten Freshman of the Year; Oldenburg Recognized as Coach of the Year
4/8/2021 3:23:58 PM | Women's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Rookie Emily Londot was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year while head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg was named Coach of the Year by the league’s coaches and media, the conference announced Thursday.
Londot was a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection. Sophomore Mac Podraza earned the first postseason laurels of her career with first team honors. Freshman Rylee Rader, sophomore Kylie Murr and junior Vanja Bukilic all garnered second team All-Big Ten accolades. Londot and Rader also secured a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. The five total All-Big Ten honorees is the most in one season for Ohio State.
TOP ROOKIE
Londot is the seventh Buckeye in program history to be selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first since Stacey Gordon was honored in 2001. The 6-foot-3 opposite hitter led all Big Ten freshman and ranked second in the league in kills per set (4.03) and total points (335.5). She has recorded double-digit kills in all 18 matches this season and had at least 20 kills on six occasions. Londot has posted seven double-doubles, including a pair of 23-kill, 17-dig performances.
FEARLESS LEADER
Oldenburg is the second Buckeye head coach to be named Big Ten Coach of the Year by the league’s coaches and media, joining Jim Stone, who achieved the feat three times. Under her guidance, Ohio State was off to its best start in the Big Ten since the 1991 season with a 12-0 record, the most consecutive wins since 2013. It also happened to be the best start under a first-year head coach in program history. Oldenburg is set to lead the No. 9 nationally seeded Buckeyes into the NCAA Tournament, the only head coach in Ohio State history to earn an appearance in the national tournament during their first year at the helm.
SETTING THE STANDARD
Podraza picked up her first All-Big Ten accolade after ranking second in the conference and 19th nationally with 10.89 assists per set. Her 806 total assists is the top mark in the Big Ten and 16th-highest total in the country. The 6-foot-2 setter has tallied at least 40 assists in 16 outings and surpassed 50 assists five times. She was a four-time Big Ten Setter of the Week this season and became the first Buckeye to earn the honor three weeks in a row.
A FORCE AT THE NET
Rader is being recognized by the Big Ten for the first time in her career with spots on the second and all-freshman teams. She leads the Buckeyes and ranks 15th in the country with a .422 hitting percentage. Rader has hit above .400 in 10 matches and has a .404 clip against Top 50 teams. She has been a force at the net, coming in third on the team in total blocks (64). The rookie middle blocker wrote her name in Ohio State’s record book with a career-high 11 blocks against Rutgers on Feb. 27. It was the most blocks by a Buckeye since 2015 and the most by a freshman since 1987.
DUO ON SECOND TEAM
Murr is once again a second-teamer after receiving the honor back in 2019. She has started every match at libero and checks in at No. 4 in the Big Ten by averaging 4.28 digs per set. Her 317 total digs ranks third among the league’s leaders. Murr has a .933 serve reception rate after handling 280 of 300 attempts successfully.
Bukilic pulled in her first award as a Buckeye with her appearance on the second team. The 6-foot-6 opposite hitter puts away 2.80 kills per set and has accumulated 196 points to rank second on the team.
A GREAT SPORT
Senior Lauren Witte was named the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient. The award is given to student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior while holding a good academic standing and demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The middle blocker has started every match this season and has 1.65 kills per set while hitting .372. She paces Ohio State at the net with 78 total blocks.
