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GREENSBORO, N.C. – The coaches of the Atlantic Coast Conference named senior middle blocker Felicia Willoughby and sophomore opposite hitter Cara Baarendse to this year’s All-ACC team after they both had outstanding seasons with the Hokies. Additionally, Victoria Hamsher was one of seven rookies to be named to the ACC All-Freshman team.

Felicia Willoughy, Tech’s first ever two-time All-American (honorable mention in 2008 and 2009), was named to the All-ACC team for the third year in a row, after earning ACC Freshman of the Year in 2007. She is the first volleyball player in Tech history to make an All-ACC team all four years. The senior from Pleasanton, Calif., demonstrated outstanding leadership as one of the team’s captains, helping to guide the team to its first ever defeat of an AVCA nationally-ranked top-25 team, as well as several key wins over regionally-ranked and national top-50 teams.

Willoughby began the season on a strong note, being named to the all-tournament team in all four of Tech’s preseason tournaments. Willoughby once again leads the Hokies in blocks, with 20 solo and 92 assists for a total of 112, averaging 1.03, which ranks her ninth in the ACC. Additionally, she is second on the team in kills (302) and hitting percentage (.365), and her impressive attack clip ranks her third in the ACC and 38th in the nation. Felicia will graduate from Tech as one of the most accomplished and decorated players in school history. She set two new career blocking records earlier this year, and has extended a huge lead over the second-place Hokies in both categories, as she leads the career block assists list by 70, with 444, and total blocks by 46, with 540. She looks to set a new all-time record in career hitting percentage, as she currently sits six points ahead of Katie Esbrook’s program-best mark of .324 with a career clip of .330. Moreover, she is in fifth all-time in career block solos (96) and one kill shy of seventh all-time, with 1,263, earning 300-plus kills in all four seasons.

Cara Baarendse, who was named to the ACC All-Freshman team last season, earns her first All-ACC selection this year. Baarendse has had a phenomenal year in the front row, as she leads the ACC in hitting percentage and ranks 19th in the nation, hitting .390. She is sixth in the ACC in kills, earning 353 on the season for an average of 3.27 per set, and she is second on the team with 14 service aces.

Baarendse got off to a strong start, earning three all-tournament selections and being named MVP of the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational and the Western Kentucky Tournament. She hit .491 with 31 kills at Tech’s home tournament, which was enough to earn a spot on CVU.com’s national Top Performer’s list for the week. Her .390 clip this season should put her second on the Hokies’ all-time single-season list, and if she continues to play as consistently and efficiently as she has been, she is well on her way to setting a new all-time career hitting percentage, as she is currently 50 points ahead of the present record, hitting .374 over her past two seasons.

"Felicia and Cara have both had tremendous years for our team,” said head coach Chris Riley. “They have been the most consistent part of our offense and both have been great teammates. It is a pleasure coaching both of them."

Victoria Hamsher started her career at Tech with a bang starting all 29 matches and seeing action in all 109 sets this season. Hamsher has 143 kills, 46 digs, eight service aces and is hitting .245. She shines the most on front-row defense, as she is second on the team in blocks, with 11 solo, 88 assists and a total of 99 on the year. Her 99 total blocks rank her fifth all-time in Tech’s freshman record books, and she is just two blocks shy of fourth place with at least one match remaining in the season. Hamsher has consistently ranked among the top freshman blockers in the country, and is currently 28th in the nation among freshmen in blocks per set.

"Tori has played every point as a freshman and has gained so much experience,” Riley said. “She will be a big part of the future of Virginia Tech."

The Hokies will conclude their regular season on Friday, as they host in-state rival Virginia in an ACC competition beginning at 7 p.m.

2010 All-ACC Team
Sandra Adeleye So. M Clemson
Becci Burling Sr. MB Duke
Kellie Catanach Jr. S Duke
Christiana Gray So. MB Duke
Ali McCurdy Fr. L Duke
Amanda Robertson Jr. RS Duke
Visnja Djurdjevic Jr. OH Florida State
Stephanie Neville Sr. OH Florida State
Bailey Hunter Jr. OH Georgia Tech
Monique Mead So. RS Georgia Tech
Mary Ashley Tippins Sr. S Georgia Tech
Lane Carico Jr. OH Miami
Kaylie Gibson Jr. L North Carolina
Courtney Johnston Sr. OPP North Carolina
Emily McGee So. OH North Carolina
Cara Baarendse So. OPP Virginia Tech
Felicia Willoughby Sr. MB Virginia Tech
Andrea Beck So. MH Wake Forest

Player of the Year: Kellie Catanach, Jr., Setter, Duke
Defensive Player of the Year: Kaylie Gibson, Jr., Libero, North Carolina
Freshman of the Year: McKenzie Adams, Right Side, Virginia
Coach of the Year: Jolene Nagel, Duke

2010 ACC All-Freshmen Team
McKenzie Adams RS Virginia
Mary Cushman OH Maryland
Ali McCurdy L Duke
Jennifer Percy OH Georgia Tech
Moneshia Simmons RS Clemson
Victoria Hamsher MB Virginia Tech
Hannah Brenner S Clemson

For updates on Virginia Tech volleyball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_VBall).