3 reasons that make Mimi Colyer the clear choice for AVCA Player of the Year

The announcement was made today that Mimi Colyer is a finalist for the AVCA National Player of the Year. Olivia Babcock, Eva Hudson, and Bergen Reilly are the other three in contention. It's a strong field with three hitters and one setter, and yet all are among the best in the world at their position. It's clear when you start digging into the numbers that Mimi Colyer deserves to win the award.

1. Mimi Colyer is 3rd in the nation in kills per set

Let's start with the in-season play. She was Big Ten Player of the Week multiple times, and she was easily the best outside hitter in the Big Ten, especially down the stretch. She was third in the nation in kills per set at 5.39. It's unfair to go by total kills, as the Badgers had a tendency to sweep teams and leave fewer opportunities for more kills.

Which is why kills per set matter so much, and she did it better than almost everyone in the nation. The other hitters on the finalist list came in at 5th (Olivia Babcock) and 20th (Eva Hudson).

2. Mimi Colyer's tournament stats are better than the other finalists

Colyer is on another level right now, and her tournament stats are revealing that she deserves to win. She's literally willing her team to victory each and every match. Out of the four finalists, she has the most points in the NCAA Tournament at 87, and the most kills at 82. She is also second in digs at 35 and the second-highest hitting percentage at .378%.

Three of those four are going to the Final Four, and while Bergen Reilly may have won the Big Ten Player of the Year, she hasn't even been the best setter in the tournament. Charlie Fuerbringer is outpacing her by over 30 assists. Reilly has 161 while Fuerbringer is at 196 (both have played four matches).

See how she compares below:

3. Mimi Colyer's defense is the best of the finalists

The AVCA should also consider the defense, not just the offense. Out of all the finalists, Mimi Colyer the best in all-around defense. She's good at both digs and blocks, making her a solid six-rotation player. She will play in the back row as well as the front row. She averages 2.23 digs per set and 0.65 blocks per set.

Eva Hudson is the only one who plays in a similar way, as far as defense goes. She has a 2.42 digs per set rate and a 0.42 blocks per set rate. While her digs are slightly better, Colyer outpaces her in blocks per set.

Even if you like Hudson's defense slightly better, she's not the better all-around defender, nor is she even close to Colyer in terms of offense. Colyer had 626.5 points on the season and now has 87 points in the tournament. Hudson only had 547.5 on the season and 62.5 points in the NCAA Tournament.

Mimi Colyer should win the award and it really isn't that close.