Sophomore Marilee Fisher passes the ball over the net in a match Sept. 5.

Choosing this year’s best female athlete was tough, especially with all of Wash. U.’s All-American volleyball players and last season’s national championship basketball team. But with her consistent statistical NCAA dominance, volleyball superstar Marilee Fisher gets our nod.

After a freshman campaign in which she led the country in assists per set and was a Second-Team All-American, Fisher once again established herself as one of Division III’s top setters in her sophomore year. Apart from moving up to First-Team All-American, her 11.71 individual assists per set once again led the country statistically.

Fisher’s steady success as setter was key to the team’s .282 hitting percentage, fourth-best in the nation, and her consistency made attacking even easier for the Bears’ already talented hitters. In a complex Wash. U. offense, Fisher’s impact is tough to ignore.

“The [Wash. U.] offense is a sophisticated system, and it takes an incredibly cerebral setter to run it,” head coach Rich Luenemann said. “Marilee leads the offense as well as any setter I’ve ever coached.”

Fisher is on pace, along with fellow sophomore Kelly Pang, to become the next student athlete in the storied history of the Wash. U. volleyball program to achieve All-America honors in all four years on the court.