Lexi Zimmerman

Classroom

Lexi Zimmerman is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2008, 2009) as an environment major with a 3.36 GPA. She won the Bates/Deskin Award after the 2009-10 academic year which is awarded annually by the University to a junior student-athlete who excels in academics as well as athletics, and is an overall well-rounded individual. It is named in honor of Percy Bates, U-M professor of education, and Donald Deskins, U-M professor emeritus of urban geography and sociology

Character

Zimmerman teamed with teammate Courtney Fletcher to write guest columns for the Michigan Daily, the student newspaper. Their columns focused on bridging the divide between student-athletes and students at the university. Some columns were written jointly, while others were written on their own. In one, they talked about overcoming injuries. Zimmerman suffered multiple hand injuries throughout the 2009 season, including a dislocated thumb and eventually breaking her wrist. She found new ways to contribute to the team during spring practice, like working on her footwork and figuring out how best to accomplish team goals if she was not on the court.

Community

An environment major with a concentration in Urban Planning, Zimmerman wants to change the way we operate and “save the planet” through more sustainable building practices. She took classes in Wyoming during the summer of 2009 focusing on environmental improvements.  She competed in the Live Green competition, where she helped design a completely sustainable OFFGRID prototype house. In addition to her contributions to improving the environment, she also joins the team and fellow student-athletes in visits to Mott’s Children’s Hospital. She has spent time volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. She also has a little sister in the Big Sisters/Big Brothers program and has worked with an after-school program called Bright Futures.

Competition

Zimmerman became Michigan’s career leader in assists in 2010, breaking a mark that has stood since 1997. She earned MVP honors at the Active Ankle Challenge and Michigan/adidas Invitational while nabbing all-tourney honors at all four non-conference tournaments. A preseason All-Big Ten honoree, Zimmerman was also named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season. In 2009, Zimmerman became the first first-team All-American in program history and will end her career as the most prolific setter in school history. She was an All-America honorable mention in 2007 before earning second-team honors in 2008. She is a two-time All-Big Ten first team selection (2008, 2009), along with being named to the 2007 Big Ten All-Freshman team. She currently ranks first in career assists and ninth in digs at Michigan.