University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Three Panthers Earn AVCA All-America Honors
12/18/2019 11:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Lund Earns Highest Individual Merit in Program History
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Following a historic 2019 season, three from the University of Pittsburgh have earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America honors, as announced Wednesday.
Junior outside hitter Kayla Lund became the second Panther in program history to land on the AVCA All-America Second Team, while teammates Chinaza Ndee and Layne Van Buskirk each earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention accolades.
"We are extremely proud of Kayla, Chinaza and Layne for earning these honors," head coach Dan Fisher said. "With Kayla named to the Second Team, it ties the highest individual award earned by a Panther in our program's history. For these three to be recognized on a national scale is a tribute to their hard work and leadership. They have each been a significant factor in our program's rise over the last few years, and I congratulate them for their efforts."
Lund's AVCA All-America Second Team honor ties the highest individual accolade earned by a Panther in program history. She is the second Panther in program history to earn the distinction, joining Ann Marie Lucanie (1993).
The award lengthens the list of 2019 accolades for Lund, who became the program's first ACC Player of the Year and AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year, as announced in early December. A Pasadena, Calif., native, Lund earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors in 2018.
Ndee, a junior right side hitter, earned the first AVCA All-America honors of her career while Van Buskirk, a senior middle blocker, earned Honorable Mention honors for the second time (2018). Both were named 2019 AVCA East Coast All-Region selections and 2019 All-ACC First Team selections.
The 2019 season marks the sixth consecutive year that the Panthers have earned AVCA All-America honors.
LUND 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
2019 AVCA All-America Second Team … Second Panther in program history to be named to the Second Team, first since Ann Marie Lucanie in 1993 … AVCA All-America Second Team honors tie the highest earned by a Panther in program history … AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year, first for the program … AVCA East Coast All-Region Team … Program's first ACC Player of the Year … Second consecutive All-ACC first team honors … Led the Panthers with 3.57 kills per set, ranking seventh in the ACC … Team-best nine double-doubles … Team-best three matches with 20 kills or more … One of three in the ACC to rank in the league's top 10 for both kills and service aces per set … Tied a career high with 23 kills against No. 3 Penn State (Sept. 22) … Picked up a career-best 21 digs at Pepperdine (Sept. 14) … Hit a career-best .818 with nine kills on 11 attempts and zero errors against Green Bay (Sept. 7) … Led the Panthers in kills in 19 matches … Second on the squad with 2.74 digs and 0.32 service aces per frame … Team captain for the Panthers … Two-time ACC Player of the Week (Sept. 3, Sept. 9) … ChampYinz Invitational MVP (Sept. 7) … Panther Challenge MVP (Aug. 31) … Preseason All-ACC selection (Aug. 9).
NDEE 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
2019 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention … 2019 AVCA East Coast All-Region Team … First All-ACC first team honors of career … Second on the squad with 2.85 kills per set on .296 hitting … Ranks second for Pitt with 0.98 blocks per frame … Moved into the program's top 10 all-time for both career block assists and career total blocks … Recorded two double-doubles … Led the Panthers in kills in eight matches … Paced the team in blocks in 10 matches … Posted a career-high 22 kills at Pepperdine (Sept. 14) … Contributed a career-best 11 blocks at Boston College (Oct. 13) … Two-time ACC Player of the Week (Sept. 23, Oct. 7).
VAN BUSKIRK 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
2019 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention … 2019 AVCA East Coast All-Region Team … Second consecutive All-ACC first team unanimous selection … Led the Panthers with a .369 hitting percentage, ranking fifth in the ACC … Fourth on the squad with 2.52 kills per set … Moved into Pitt's top five all-time for both career block assists and career total blocks … ACC Player of the Week (Sept. 16) ... ChampYinz Invitational All-Tournament Team … Preseason All-ACC selection (Aug. 9).
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Junior outside hitter Kayla Lund became the second Panther in program history to land on the AVCA All-America Second Team, while teammates Chinaza Ndee and Layne Van Buskirk each earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention accolades.
"We are extremely proud of Kayla, Chinaza and Layne for earning these honors," head coach Dan Fisher said. "With Kayla named to the Second Team, it ties the highest individual award earned by a Panther in our program's history. For these three to be recognized on a national scale is a tribute to their hard work and leadership. They have each been a significant factor in our program's rise over the last few years, and I congratulate them for their efforts."
Lund's AVCA All-America Second Team honor ties the highest individual accolade earned by a Panther in program history. She is the second Panther in program history to earn the distinction, joining Ann Marie Lucanie (1993).
The award lengthens the list of 2019 accolades for Lund, who became the program's first ACC Player of the Year and AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year, as announced in early December. A Pasadena, Calif., native, Lund earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors in 2018.
Ndee, a junior right side hitter, earned the first AVCA All-America honors of her career while Van Buskirk, a senior middle blocker, earned Honorable Mention honors for the second time (2018). Both were named 2019 AVCA East Coast All-Region selections and 2019 All-ACC First Team selections.
The 2019 season marks the sixth consecutive year that the Panthers have earned AVCA All-America honors.
LUND 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
2019 AVCA All-America Second Team … Second Panther in program history to be named to the Second Team, first since Ann Marie Lucanie in 1993 … AVCA All-America Second Team honors tie the highest earned by a Panther in program history … AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year, first for the program … AVCA East Coast All-Region Team … Program's first ACC Player of the Year … Second consecutive All-ACC first team honors … Led the Panthers with 3.57 kills per set, ranking seventh in the ACC … Team-best nine double-doubles … Team-best three matches with 20 kills or more … One of three in the ACC to rank in the league's top 10 for both kills and service aces per set … Tied a career high with 23 kills against No. 3 Penn State (Sept. 22) … Picked up a career-best 21 digs at Pepperdine (Sept. 14) … Hit a career-best .818 with nine kills on 11 attempts and zero errors against Green Bay (Sept. 7) … Led the Panthers in kills in 19 matches … Second on the squad with 2.74 digs and 0.32 service aces per frame … Team captain for the Panthers … Two-time ACC Player of the Week (Sept. 3, Sept. 9) … ChampYinz Invitational MVP (Sept. 7) … Panther Challenge MVP (Aug. 31) … Preseason All-ACC selection (Aug. 9).
NDEE 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
2019 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention … 2019 AVCA East Coast All-Region Team … First All-ACC first team honors of career … Second on the squad with 2.85 kills per set on .296 hitting … Ranks second for Pitt with 0.98 blocks per frame … Moved into the program's top 10 all-time for both career block assists and career total blocks … Recorded two double-doubles … Led the Panthers in kills in eight matches … Paced the team in blocks in 10 matches … Posted a career-high 22 kills at Pepperdine (Sept. 14) … Contributed a career-best 11 blocks at Boston College (Oct. 13) … Two-time ACC Player of the Week (Sept. 23, Oct. 7).
VAN BUSKIRK 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
2019 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention … 2019 AVCA East Coast All-Region Team … Second consecutive All-ACC first team unanimous selection … Led the Panthers with a .369 hitting percentage, ranking fifth in the ACC … Fourth on the squad with 2.52 kills per set … Moved into Pitt's top five all-time for both career block assists and career total blocks … ACC Player of the Week (Sept. 16) ... ChampYinz Invitational All-Tournament Team … Preseason All-ACC selection (Aug. 9).
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Players Mentioned
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