University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Photo by: Michael Shroyer/Pitt Athletics
Reigning ACC Champs Predicted to Win 2018 Volleyball Title
8/3/2018 2:01:00 PM | Volleyball
Three Panthers Earn ACC Preseason Accolades
GREENSBORO, N.C. – On the heels of its first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship, the University of Pittsburgh volleyball team has earned its highest projection in program history in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, with the Panthers being predicted to finish atop of the conference in 2018.
Pitt earned all 14 possible first-place votes on its way to being named the predicted champion, after a successful 2017 season where the team amassed an 18-2 ACC record en route to a share of the conference title with Louisville. The Cardinals came in second in the poll with Florida State, Notre Dame and Duke rounding out the top five, respectively. Teams were unable to vote for themselves in the poll.
The Panthers have steadily move up in the preseason poll since joining the ACC in 2013, the same year head coach Dan Fisher took over the program. In its inaugural season, Pitt was predicted to finish 13th, while in 2014 they jumped to ninth. Since 2014, the program has consistently jumped two spots in the preseason poll every year, being predicted to finish seventh in 2015, fifth in 2016, third in 2017 and first this season.
The Panthers also landed three student-athletes on the 18-member 2018 Preseason All-ACC Team, including 2017 AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans Nika Markovic and Stephanie Williams, as well as 2017 AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team member Kamalani Akeo. The list of honorees included student-athletes from 10 of the 15 conference schools. Louisville led all teams with four selections, while Pitt was second with three.
Williams, a redshirt junior, earned multiple accolades in 2017 including AVCA Honorable Mention All-America, AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team and All-ACC First Team honors. Williams finished the 2017 season with a team-high eight double-doubles while placing second in both kills (377) and digs (259).
A junior from Braslovce, Slovenia, Markovic received AVCA Honorable Mention All-America, AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team and All-ACC First Team honors in 2017. Last season, Markovic led the team in points with 426 kills, good for third overall in the ACC, and 509 points.
Akeo, a senior, was named to the AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team and All-ACC First Team in 2017. The Hawaii native ranked first on the team in assists (1,258) and assists per set (10.75) in 2017.
Pitt opens the 2018 season Friday, Aug. 24 as they welcome Butler, Cal Poly and Pepperdine to the Fitzgerald Field House for the Panther Challenge, the first of two home tournaments. Prior to the regular season getting under way, the Panthers will host their annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage Saturday, Aug. 11. The event is open to the public and admission is free.
Flex season tickets as well as single-match and group tickets for the 2018 Pitt volleyball season can be purchased online or by calling the Panthers' Ticket Office at 1-800-643-PITT (7488).
2018 ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
Pitt (196 points) (14 first-place votes)
Louisville (180) (1 first-place votes)
Florida State (171)
Notre Dame (137)
Duke (134)
North Carolina (121)
Miami (117)
NC State (117)
Syracuse (110)
Georgia Tech (68)
Virginia Tech (55)
Clemson (54)
Wake Forest (51)
Virginia (37)
Boston College (27)
2018 ACC Volleyball Preseason All-ACC Team
Kaylin Korte, Sr., OH/RS, Clemson
Leah Meyer, Jr., MB, Duke
Payton Caffrey, Jr., OH, Florida State
Taryn Knuth, So., MB, Florida State
Jasmine Bennett, Sr., MB, Louisville
Melanie McHenry, Jr., OH, Louisville
Wilma Rivera, Sr., S, Louisville
Molly Sauer, Sr., L, Louisville
Haley Templeton, R-Sr., S, Miami
Melissa Evans, So., OPP, NC State
Kylie Pickrell, Sr., S, NC State
Ryann DeJarld, Sr., L, Notre Dame
Jemma Yeadon, Jr., OH, Notre Dame
Kamalani Akeo, Sr., S, Pitt
Nika Markovic, Jr., RS, Pitt
Stephanie Williams, R-Jr., OH, Pitt
Santita Ebangwese, Sr., MB, Syracuse
Jaila Tolbert, Sr., RS, Virginia Tech
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Pitt earned all 14 possible first-place votes on its way to being named the predicted champion, after a successful 2017 season where the team amassed an 18-2 ACC record en route to a share of the conference title with Louisville. The Cardinals came in second in the poll with Florida State, Notre Dame and Duke rounding out the top five, respectively. Teams were unable to vote for themselves in the poll.
The Panthers have steadily move up in the preseason poll since joining the ACC in 2013, the same year head coach Dan Fisher took over the program. In its inaugural season, Pitt was predicted to finish 13th, while in 2014 they jumped to ninth. Since 2014, the program has consistently jumped two spots in the preseason poll every year, being predicted to finish seventh in 2015, fifth in 2016, third in 2017 and first this season.
The Panthers also landed three student-athletes on the 18-member 2018 Preseason All-ACC Team, including 2017 AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans Nika Markovic and Stephanie Williams, as well as 2017 AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team member Kamalani Akeo. The list of honorees included student-athletes from 10 of the 15 conference schools. Louisville led all teams with four selections, while Pitt was second with three.
Williams, a redshirt junior, earned multiple accolades in 2017 including AVCA Honorable Mention All-America, AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team and All-ACC First Team honors. Williams finished the 2017 season with a team-high eight double-doubles while placing second in both kills (377) and digs (259).
A junior from Braslovce, Slovenia, Markovic received AVCA Honorable Mention All-America, AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team and All-ACC First Team honors in 2017. Last season, Markovic led the team in points with 426 kills, good for third overall in the ACC, and 509 points.
Akeo, a senior, was named to the AVCA All-East Coast Region First Team and All-ACC First Team in 2017. The Hawaii native ranked first on the team in assists (1,258) and assists per set (10.75) in 2017.
Pitt opens the 2018 season Friday, Aug. 24 as they welcome Butler, Cal Poly and Pepperdine to the Fitzgerald Field House for the Panther Challenge, the first of two home tournaments. Prior to the regular season getting under way, the Panthers will host their annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage Saturday, Aug. 11. The event is open to the public and admission is free.
Flex season tickets as well as single-match and group tickets for the 2018 Pitt volleyball season can be purchased online or by calling the Panthers' Ticket Office at 1-800-643-PITT (7488).
2018 ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
Pitt (196 points) (14 first-place votes)
Louisville (180) (1 first-place votes)
Florida State (171)
Notre Dame (137)
Duke (134)
North Carolina (121)
Miami (117)
NC State (117)
Syracuse (110)
Georgia Tech (68)
Virginia Tech (55)
Clemson (54)
Wake Forest (51)
Virginia (37)
Boston College (27)
2018 ACC Volleyball Preseason All-ACC Team
Kaylin Korte, Sr., OH/RS, Clemson
Leah Meyer, Jr., MB, Duke
Payton Caffrey, Jr., OH, Florida State
Taryn Knuth, So., MB, Florida State
Jasmine Bennett, Sr., MB, Louisville
Melanie McHenry, Jr., OH, Louisville
Wilma Rivera, Sr., S, Louisville
Molly Sauer, Sr., L, Louisville
Haley Templeton, R-Sr., S, Miami
Melissa Evans, So., OPP, NC State
Kylie Pickrell, Sr., S, NC State
Ryann DeJarld, Sr., L, Notre Dame
Jemma Yeadon, Jr., OH, Notre Dame
Kamalani Akeo, Sr., S, Pitt
Nika Markovic, Jr., RS, Pitt
Stephanie Williams, R-Jr., OH, Pitt
Santita Ebangwese, Sr., MB, Syracuse
Jaila Tolbert, Sr., RS, Virginia Tech
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