Four USC Women's Volleyball Players Garner Big Ten Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – USC women's volleyball graduate outside hitter Ally Batenhorst (Houston, Texas/Seven Lakes HS) and senior setter Mia Tuaniga (Long Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS) were named to the Big Ten all-conference first team and redshirt freshman Leah Ford (Keller, Texas/Keller HS) earned second-team honors and was on the all-freshman team, the Conference announced on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Junior libero Gala Trubint (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS) was selected as USC's Sportsmanship Honoree.

While Tuaniga earns her first All-Big Ten award, it is her third-career all-conference nod following back-to-back All-Pac-12 selections in 2022 and 2023. She was also a Big Ten Preseason All-Conference Team selection. Batenhorst and Ford each received their first-career all-conference awards.

Batenhorst ranks fourth in the Big Ten for total points with 529.5 (4.56 pps, eighth) and is fifth in total kills with 449 (3.87 kps, ninth). She also ranks eighth in the league for attacks per frame at 10.64 per set. She earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Nov. 4 and was chosen as co-MVP and MVP of each of the Trojans' two non-conference tournaments. She was on the AVCA's National Player of the Year Watch List and was recently selected with the 15th overall pick by the Omaha Supernovas in the PVF Draft (second round, seventh pick). Batenhorst set career marks in all statistical categories with the Women of Troy, and while her season total for kills is also a career best, combined with kills she recorded at Nebraska, she is just 16 from reaching the 1,000-kill mark in her career.

Tuaniga ranks fourth in the conference for total assists with 1,162 (10.02 aps, eighth) and is fifth in service aces with 48 total and a 0.41 aces per set average. Her season total from the service line ranks 10th in school history. She has started every match of the season and was twice named the Big Ten Setter of the Week (Sept. 23 and Nov. 4) and was chosen to the all-tournament team in each of the Trojans' non-conference tourneys. Tuaniga was chosen by the Atlanta Vibe with the 27th overall pick of the PVF Draft (fourth round, third pick). She opened the season ranked eighth in program history for assists and has since risen to second place. Tuaniga needs just 39 assists to tie the all-time career mark of 4,510 assists (Kendall Bateman, 2008-11) and can claim the school record with 40.

Ford has played in 22 matches with 16 starts and led the Trojans in blocks in 11 contests. She ranks fourth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.367) and is fifth for blocks (1.36 bps). She has reached double-digit kills with a career high of 10 in two matches and has recorded seven matches in double-digit points. Ford averages 2.41 points per set and 1.54 kills per set.

Trubint has started at the libero position in 28 of the Trojans matches and reached double-digit digs in 20 of those. In her career, she has collected double-digit digs 68 times and has had 20 or more 16 times including twice this season. She has led the team in digs in 18 contests this fall and her 351 digs rank 15th in the Big Ten. Trubint averages 3.25 digs per set and 1.01 assists per set.

USC (21-9) was awarded one of 33 at-large berths into the NCAA tournament and makes its 40th appearance in the national tourney this week. The Women of Troy received the sixth seed in the Penn State quarter of the bracket and face WAC regular-season and tournament champion UT Arlington (29-2) in a first-round match on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 4 p.m. CT (2 p.m. PT) at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Texas. In the other first-round match at the Austin site, third-seeded host Texas (18-6) meets Southland Conference tournament champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (20-10). The winners of the two first-round contests will meet in the second round on Friday, Dec. 6.

USC makes its third consecutive appearance in the postseason tournament. The Trojans own three NCAA titles (1981, 2002, '03); six national championships overall including three AIAW crowns (1976, '77, '80). USC has appeared in all but four of the NCAA's 44 annual championship tournaments (1986, 1990, 2020-21, 2021). Since the NCAA expanded to a field of 64 teams in 1998, USC has advanced to 12 regional championship matches, seven national semifinals (final four), and two national finals (both victories).

For more information on the USC women's volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

2024 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON HONORS

Player of the Year: Sarah Franklin, Gr., OH, Wisconsin
Setter of the Year: Bergen Reilly, So., Nebraska
Libero of the Year: Lexi Rodriguez, Sr., Nebraska
Freshman of the Year: Izzy Starck, S, Penn State
Coach of the Year: Katie Schumacher-Cawley, Penn State

ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM*
RAINA TERRY, Sr., OH, Illinois
Allison Jacobs, Gr., OH, Michigan
Nalani Iosia, Sr., L, Michigan State
Lydia Grote, Gr., OPP, Minnesota
JULIA HANSON, Jr., OH, Minnesota
Melani Shaffmaster, Gr., S, Minnesota
Merritt Beason, Sr., OPP, Nebraska
ANDI JACKSON, So., MB, Nebraska
Harper Murray, So., OH, Nebraska
Bergen Reilly, So., S, Nebraska
LEXI RODRIGUEZ, Sr., L, Nebraska
Emily Londot, Gr., OPP, Ohio State
MIMI COLYER, Jr., OH, Oregon
Onye Ofoegbu, Gr., MB, Oregon
Camryn Hannah, Gr., OH, Penn State
JESS MRUZIK, Gr., OH, Penn State
Izzy Starck, Fr., S, Penn State
Taylor Trammell, Sr., MB, Penn State
Raven Colvin, Sr., MB, Purdue
Eva Hudson, Jr., OH, Purdue
Cheridyn Leverette, Jr., OH, UCLA
Ally Batenhorst, Gr., OH, USC
Mia Tuaniga, Sr., S, USC
SARAH FRANKLIN, Gr., OH, Wisconsin
Anna Smrek, Sr., OPP, Wisconsin

ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM*
Ramsey Gary, So., L, Indiana
Camryn Haworth, Sr., S, Indiana
Samantha Schnitta, Gr., OPP, Maryland
Valentina Vaulet, So., OPP, Michigan
Phoebe Awoleye, Gr., MB, Minnesota
Michelle Ohwobete, Gr., OH, Oregon
Gillian Grimes, Jr., L, Penn State
Taylor Anderson, So., S, Purdue
Chloe Chicoine, So., OH, Purdue
Anna Dodson, Sr., MB, UCLA
Leah Ford, Fr., MB, USC
Kierstyn Barton, So., OH, Washington
Emoni Bush, Jr., OH, Washington
Carter Booth, Jr., MB, Wisconsin
Charlie Fuerbringer, Fr., S, Wisconsin
Julia Orzol, Sr., OH, Wisconsin

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Ashlyn Philpot, MB, Illinois
Emmi Sellman, OH, Ohio State
Cristin Cline, S, Oregon
Caroline Jurevicius, OH, Penn State
IZZY STARCK, S, Penn State
Leah Ford, MB, USC
Julia Hunt, MB, Washington
CHARLIE FUERBRINGER, S, Wisconsin
Lola Schumacher, L, Wisconsin

SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Christina Martinez Mundo, Gr., L, Illinois
Ava Vickers, So., MB Indiana
Joy Galles, Gr., L, Iowa
Ellie Watson, Sr., MB, Maryland
Allison Jacobs, Gr., OH, Michigan
Taylor Preston, Jr., OH, Michigan State
Elise McGhie, Sr., S, Minnesota
Leyla Blackwell, Sr., MB, Nebraska
Sophia Summers, Gr., MB, Northwestern
Sydney Taylor, Sr., DS, Ohio State
Daley McClellan, Sr., DS, Oregon
Ava Falduto, Fr., DS, Penn State
Sydney Yim, Sr., S, Purdue
Lexi Visintine, Jr., OH, Rutgers
Audrey Pak, Gr., S, UCLA
Gala Trubint, Jr., L, USC
Sophia Tulino, Sr., OH, Washington
Julia Orzol, Sr., OH, Wisconsin

* Additional player(s) due to tie in voting
ALL CAPS denotes unanimous selection

Players Mentioned

Ally Batenhorst

Leah Ford

Gala Trubint

Mia Tuaniga