Trio Of Tar Heels Tabbed Preseason All-ACC
August 4, 2017 | Volleyball
GREENSBORO – A league-best three Carolina Tar Heels collected Preseason All-ACC honors on Friday, as selected by the conference's head coaches. 2016 ACC Player of the Year Taylor Leath, 2016 ACC Freshman of the Year Julia Scoles and 2016 All-ACC Second Team selection Taylor Fricano were all named to the 18-player Preseason All-ACC list. The 2016 ACC Champions were the only team with three honorees, while Louisville, NC State, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh each had two selections.
"We have a good core group of returning players who have experience and know what it takes to play at a high level and be successful," said head coach Joe Sagula. "We now have to go on the court and prove it each day, one match at a time."
Taylor Leath stepped up as a redshirt sophomore in 2016, earning AVCA Second-Team All-America and ACC Player of the Year honors, while taking home three ACC Player of the Week awards and three National Player of the Week honors. The six-rotation outside hitter led Carolina with 374 kills, hitting .252 with 299 digs, 70 blocks and 19 aces. Named to every all-tournament team, including MVP of the TCU Horned Frog Challenge and the only Tar Heel on the NCAA Minneapolis Regional All-Tournament Team, she stepped up in big matches putting together three 20-kill performances against top-10 teams.
"As the returning Player of the Year and the team's captain, Taylor is the leader both on and off the court," said Sagula. "Her competiveness, work ethic and tenacity serve as a driving force for this team. I am excited for the recognition she has earned and I am confident she will handle the responsibility of maintaining a high level of play. A lot will be asked of her this coming season."
Julia Scoles exploded onto the scene as a true freshman in 2016, earning ACC and AVCA East Coast Region Freshman of the Year honors to go with First-Team All-ACC and an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention. Scoles opened the year by earning the first two ACC Freshman of the Week awards, then went on to become the second Tar Heel in program history to earn back-to-back ACC Player of the Week honors for a total of four weekly awards. The six-rotation opposite hitter hit .276 with 305 kills, 259 digs, 54 blocks and a team-high 32 aces, with 10 double-doubles including the first kills-digs 20-20 in five years.
"Julia had a great freshman season, establishing herself as one of the best in the ACC in such a short time," said Sagula. "She has improved her ball control and defense this year and will continue to be explosive at the net and the service line. She had a great summer of experience with the Collegiate National Training Team in Minnesota. She will bring that additional competitive experience to her game in her second year of play and also be looked to in a leadership role."
Taylor Fricano made the transition from opposite to middle hitter prior to the 2016 season, where she emerged as one of the best blockers in the ACC. Starting all 33 matches in the middle, she tied UNC's season record for block assists with 142, while hitting .327 with 173 kills and 20 aces. Ranked fourth in the ACC and 28th in the nation in blocks per set, she also finished ninth in the league in hitting percentage. One of just two seniors on the roster for 2017, Fricano came on strong in the second half of the season, totaling seven or more blocks in 10 of the final 15 matches of the year to help earn a spot on the All-ACC Second Team.
"Taylor had such a great year in 2016 in her first year ever playing as a middle hitter," said Sagula. "She just got better and better throughout the season. As a blocker, she is dominant and can impact a match. We expect her to be versatile in 2017 as both a middle and a pin player, where she can hit a variety of tempos and be a force at the service line as well. She is one of two seniors who will be looked upon to maintain the level of consistency and play as a veteran."
Thirteen of the 18 Preseason All-ACC honorees were selected All-ACC in 2016, including all seven returners from the First Team. Gabriela Stavnetchiei (Georgia Tech) and Santita Ebangwese (Syracuse) earn their first-ever ACC honors, along with graduate transfer Bree Bailey (NC State), who was named 2015 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention in her last season at Arizona State.
2017 ACC Volleyball Preseason All-ACC Team
Leah Meyer, Jr., MB, Duke (1)
Milica Kabura, Sr., OH, Florida State (1)
Gabriela Stavnetchei, Sr., OH, Georgia Tech
Tess Clark, Sr., MB/ OG, Louisville (2)
Molly Sauer, Jr., L, Louisville (2)
Olga Strantzali, Sr., OH, Miami (1)
Haley Templeton, R-Jr., S, Miami
Taylor Fricano, Sr., MH/OPP, North Carolina (2)
Taylor Leath, Jr., OH, North Carolina (1)
Julia Scoles, So., OH, North Carolina (1)
Bree Bailey, Gr., OH, NC State
Julia Brown, Sr., OH, NC State (1)
Sam Fry, Sr., MB, Notre Dame (2)
Caroline Holt, Sr., S, Notre Dame (2)
Kamalani Akeo, Jr., S, Pittsburgh (2)
Stephanie Williams, R-So., OH, Pittsburgh (1)
Santita Ebangwese, Jr., MB, Syracuse
Kylie Long, Sr., OH, Wake Forest
(1) 2016 All-ACC First Team
(2) 2016 All-ACC Second Team
