August 17, 2010
Willoughby earns third consecutive preseason All-ACC
Hokies picked to finish eighth in conference

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Senior team captain Felicia Willoughby was selected to the preseason All-ACC volleyball squad for the 2010 season and the Hokies were picked to finish eighth in the preseason standings, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Tuesday.

Willoughby earned preseason all-conference honors for the third consecutive season after a strong 2009 campaign. The Pleasanton, Calif., native became the first Hokie in program history to garner multiple All-America honors, after she claimed her second consecutive honorable mention in 2009. Additionally, she was named VaSID First Team All-State, First-Team All-ACC, All-AVCA East Region, and the Virginia Tech Tournament MVP. Willoughby had 17 double-digit kill matches and recorded a double-double at North Carolina on Nov. 8, notching 14 kills and a career-high 13 blocks in the match. She finished with 25 block solos and 114 block assists for 139 total blocks on the season, ranking her third in the ACC. As she enters her fourth and final season with the Hokies, she stands in fourth all-time in career block assists (352) and total blocks (428); Willoughby, who averages 142.7 blocks per season, is just 22 block assists and 66 total blocks away from becoming Tech’s new all-time blocking leader.

Tech racked up 55 points and the conference coaches predicted the Hokies to finish eighth, ahead of Maryland, Wake Forest, NC State and Boston College. Florida State and Duke both picked up 108 points to tie for the first-place ranking, with Florida State garnering five first-place votes and Duke earning four. Georgia Tech took a close third place, picking up the final three first-place votes. Miami was picked to finish fourth with a solid vote lead over the fifth through seventh place teams, North Carolina, Clemson, and Virginia, who were separated by just five points.

2010 Preseason All-ACC Team

Name
School
Class
Position
Sandra Adeleye
Clemson
Sophomore
MB
Alexa Rand
Clemson
Sophomore
MB
Becci Burling
Duke
Senior
MB
Kellie Catanach
Duke
Junior
S
Claire Smalzer
Duke
Senior
L
Rachael Morgan
Florida State
Junior
OH
Stephanie Neville
Florida State
Senior
OH
Fatma Yildirim
Florida State
Sophomore
OH
Bailey Hunter
Georgia Tech
Junior
OH
Jordan McCullers
Georgia Tech
Senior
DS
Monique Mead
Georgia Tech
Sophomore
RS
Mary Ashley Tippins
Georgia Tech
Senior
S
Lane Carico
Miami
Junior
OH
Lici McGee
Miami
Senior
MB
Courtney Johnston
North Carolina
Senior
OH/RS
Simone Asque
Virginia
Junior
OH
Felicia Willoughby
Virginia Tech
Senior
MB
Kadija Fornah
Wake Forest
Junior
OH

2010 Predicted Order of Finish
T1. Florida State (5) - 108 pts
T1. Duke (4) - 108 pts
3. Georgia Tech (3) - 103 pts
4. Miami - 92 pts
5. North Carolina - 75 pts
6. Clemson - 71 pts
7. Virginia - 70 pts
8. Virginia Tech - 55 pts
9. Maryland - 40 pts
10. Wake Forest - 38 pts
11. NC State - 20 pts
12. Boston College - 12 pts

() - indicates first place votes

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