GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Pitt junior outside hitter Kayla Lund has been named the 2019 ACC Volleyball Player of the Year and headlines the All-ACC Team announced Monday. The awards were based on a vote of the league’s 15 head coaches, who could not vote for their own student-athletes.
 
Florida State junior middle blocker Taryn Knuth was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year. Georgia Tech took home the three remaining annual honors, as sophomore Matti McKissock was named Setter of the Year, outside hitter Julia Bergmann received Freshman of the Year laurels and Michelle Collier was named Coach of the Year.
 
Lund ranks in the top five in the league in kills per set with 3.59 and points per set with 4.14 and also ranks in the top 10 in the conference in service aces per set at 0.31. The Pasadena, California, native helped the Panthers become the first ACC team to finish undefeated in conference play since 2004. She is the first ACC Volleyball Player of the Year from Pitt.
 
Hailing from Johnston, Iowa, Knuth led the league and ranks fourth in the nation in blocks per set with 1.54. She leads a stout Florida State defense that ranks second nationally in blocks per set this season with 3.00. Knuth is also a force on the offensive side, ranking fifth in the league in hitting percentage with a .361 mark. The junior is the first Seminole to be named Defensive Player of the Year.
 
McKissock leads the ACC and ranks among the top 25 in the NCAA in assists per set with 11.16. The sophomore from Orlando, Florida, drives a Georgia Tech attack that is among the nation’s leaders in hitting percentage (12th, .279), kills per set (18th, 14.17) and assists per set (20th, 13.09). McKissock is the first Yellow Jacket to receive Setter of the Year honors.
 
A native of Munich, Germany, Bergmann leads the conference in service aces per set with 0.45. The rookie outside hitter is tied for fourth in the league in points per set with 4.14 and is among the top 10 in kills per set with 3.48. Bergmann is the first Yellow Jacket to be named Freshman of the Year since Monique Mead in 2009.
 
Collier led Georgia Tech to a second-place finish in the ACC, winning 14 league matches, two more than double the Yellow Jackets’ total from last year. Under her guidance, Georgia Tech leads the conference in hitting percentage (.279) and ranks second in assists per set (13.09) and kills per set (14.17). The Yellow Jackets are among the top 20 nationally in all three categories.
 
Twelve different schools are represented on the All-ACC Team, led by Georgia Tech and Pitt with six honorees each. Four student-athletes were recognized from Florida State, Louisville and Notre Dame, followed by three from North Carolina. Miami had two selections, and Boston College, Clemson, NC State, Syracuse and Wake Forest each had one.
 
Four ACC teams earned berths in the 2019 NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship: Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame Pitt. The first round of play is set for Dec. 5-7.
 
 
2019 ACC Volleyball Individual Awards
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kayla Lund, Jr., OH, Pitt
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Taryn Knuth, Jr., MB, Florida State
 
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Matti McKissock, So., S, Georgia Tech
 
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Julia Bergmann, OH, Georgia Tech
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
Michelle Collier, Georgia Tech
 
FIRST TEAM ALL-ACC
Payton Caffrey^**, Sr., OH, Florida State
Taryn Knuth***, Jr., MB, Florida State
Julia Bergmann, Fr., OH, Georgia Tech
Mariana Brambilla**, So., OH, Georgia Tech
Kodie Comby^, Sr., MB, Georgia Tech
Matti McKissock, So., S, Georgia Tech
Aiko Jones, R-Fr., OPP, Louisville
Lauren Harrison, R-Fr., OH, North Carolina
Charley Niego**, So., OH, Notre Dame
Zoe Nunez**, So., S, Notre Dame
Kayla Lund***, Jr., OH, Pitt
Chinaza Ndee**, Jr., RS/MB, Pitt
Layne Van Buskirk^***, Sr., MB, Pitt
Polina Shemanova^**, So., OH, Syracuse
 
SECOND TEAM ALL-ACC
Amaka Chukwujekwu, Jr., MB, Boston College
Kaylin Korte**, Jr., OH, Clemson
Jasmyn Martin, Jr., OH, Florida State
Mikaila Dowd**, So., OH, Georgia Tech
Kayla Kaiser, So., MB, Georgia Tech
Anna Stevenson, Jr., MH, Louisville
Elizaveta Lukianova**, Jr. , OH , Miami
Melissa Evans***, Jr., OPP, NC State
Sydney Bent**, So., OH, Notre Dame
Caroline Meuth, Fr., OH, Notre Dame
Lexis Akeo, Fr., S, Pitt
Hali Hillegas, Sr., L, Pitt
Stephanie Williams****, Sr., OH, Pitt
Caitlyn Della**, Sr., MB, Wake Forest
 
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Emma Clothier, MB, Florida State
Julia Bergmann, OH, Georgia Tech
Amber Stivrins, OH, Louisville
Amaya Tillman, MB, Louisville
Savannah Vach, S, Miami
Parker Austin, OH, North Carolina
Skyy Howard, MB, North Carolina
Caroline Meuth, OH, Notre Dame
Lexis Akeo, S, Pitt
 
^denotes unanimous selection
*denotes number of career All-ACC honors