GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Georgia Tech senior middle blocker Breland Morrissette and NC State graduate student opposite hitter Melissa Evans have been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball Co-Players of the Week, while Yellow Jackets outside hitter Bianca Bertolino and North Carolina outside hitter Mabrey Shaffmaster have been selected as Co-Freshmen of the Week.
Morrissette turned in a stellar week to lead the Yellow Jackets to a perfect final regular-season weekend with sweeps of Clemson and Florida State. She tallied 19 kills on 23 attempts with only one error to compile an incredible .783 attacking percentage for the week with 3.17 kills per set. Against Clemson, she reached double-digit kills with 10 and notched a .692 hitting percentage. At Florida State, the Birmingham, Alabama, native came away with nine kills at an astounding .900 clip, earning the ninth highest individual hitting percentage with at least 10 attempts in a match in the country this season.
Evans nearly finished the week averaging a double-double, as she posted 33 kills with a .377 hitting percentage, 17 digs and four blocks. To open the final week of action, Evans tallied a double-double against Syracuse with 18 kills (.317) and 11 digs. On her Senior Day against Clemson, she posted a team-high 15 kills with three blocks and six digs.
Bertolino played a huge role in Georgia Tech’s 2-0 week to conclude the regular season, totaling 24 kills, 22 digs, a team-high five aces, two assists and two total blocks. She tallied 10 kills, nine digs, two aces, an assist and a block assist against the Tigers, as her kill and dig totals were both the second-highest marks on the team. The decorated freshman kicked it up a notch in the regular-season finale, recording 14 kills, 13 digs, three aces, an assist and a solo block against the Seminoles. She picked up her ninth double-double of the season, once again finishing second on the squad in kills and digs while leading the way in aces.
Shaffmaster tallied a career- and match-high 27 kills to lead North Carolina to a five-set win at rival Duke last Friday. She compiled a .375 attacking percentage in the match and collected eight digs. The New Castle, Indiana, native charted five kills each in the first and second sets, seven in the third set, six in the fourth and four in the decisive fifth set.
Headlined by the No. 1 overall seed for the first time in conference history, a league record-tying six ACC volleyball teams earned spots in the 2021 NCAA Championship, announced Sunday night on the NCAA Selection Show.
ACC Champion Louisville earned the conference’s NCAA automatic qualification and is the championship’s overall No. 1 seed. It marks the first time in ACC history the conference has had the top seed in the tournament. Pitt is the No. 3 seed, while Georgia Tech is the No. 8 seed. The ACC’s three top-eight seeds are the most of any conference.
Florida State, Miami and North Carolina all earned at-large bids. The conference also had six teams earn NCAA Selections in 2017.
2021 ACC Volleyball Players of the Week
Aug. 31 – Julia Bergmann, Jr., OH, Georgia Tech
Sept. 7 – Kayla Lund, Gr., OH, Pitt | Marina Markova, Jr., MB, Syracuse
Sept. 14 – Chinaza Ndee, Sr., RS, Pitt
Sept. 21 – Anna Stevenson, Gr., MB, Louisville
Sept. 28 – Mariana Brambilla, Sr., RS, Georgia Tech
Oct. 5 – Anna Stevenson, Gr., MB, Louisville | Aubrey Hamilton, So., OH, Notre Dame
Oct. 12 – Julia Bergmann, Jr., OH, Georgia Tech
Oct. 19 – Kaya Merkler, So., MH, North Carolina | Taylor Rowland, Jr., OH, NC State
Oct. 26 – Mariana Brambilla, Sr., RS, Georgia Tech
Nov. 2 – Julia Bergmann, Jr., OH, Georgia Tech | Marina Markova, Jr., MB, Syracuse
Nov. 9 – Julia Bergmann, Jr., OH, Georgia Tech
Nov. 16 - Emma Clothier, Jr., OH, Florida State
Nov. 23 - Anna Stevenson, Gr., MB, Louisville | Leketor Member-Meneh, Sr., OH, Pitt
Nov. 29 - Breland Morrissette, Sr., MB, Georgia Tech | Melissa Evans, Gr., OPP, NC State
2021 ACC Volleyball Freshmen of the Week
Aug. 31 – Bianca Bertolino, OH, Georgia Tech
Sept. 7 – Bianca Bertolino, OH, Georgia Tech
Sept. 14 – Elena Scott, L, Louisville | Jada Allen, MB, NC State
Sept. 21 – Elena Scott, L, Louisville
Sept. 28 – Elena Scott, L, Louisville
Oct. 5 – Khori Louis, MB, Florida State
Oct. 12 – Mabrey Shaffmaster, OH, North Carolina
Oct. 19 – Bianca Bertolino, OH, Georgia Tech
Oct. 26 – Mabrey Shaffmaster, OH, North Carolina
Nov. 2 – Peyman Yardimici, OH, Miami
Nov. 9 – Bianca Bertolino, OH, Georgia Tech
Nov. 16 – Mabrey Shaffmaster, OH, North Carolina
Nov. 23 - Peyman Yardimci, OH, Miami
Nov. 29 - Bianca Bertolino, OH, Georgia Tech | Mabrey Shaffmaster, OH, North Carolina