GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Louisville’s Amaya Tillman and Pitt’s Serena Gray have been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball Scholar-Athletes of the Year and headline the sport’s All-ACC Academic Team announced Tuesday.
A middle blocker from Topeka, Kansas, Tillman is a junior majoring in sport administration. She was an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-East Region and All-ACC Second Team selection this past year. Tillman helped lead Louisville to its second consecutive ACC Championship, first-ever No. 1 ranking in the AVCA Poll, first overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the program’s first NCAA Semifinal appearance.
Tillman led the Cardinals defensively with 1.35 blocks per set to rank third in the ACC and 12th nationally. She recorded five or more blocks in 12 matches, as Louisville led the conference and finished sixth in the nation with 338 blocks as a team.
Tillman earned her third All-ACC Academic Team honor in as many seasons with the Cards.
In her first season with the Panthers, Gray helped lead Pitt to its first appearance in the NCAA Semifinals and sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament. She was First-Team All-ACC, an AVCA East Coast All-Region selection and an honorable mention AVCA All-American. Gray became just the second Pitt volleyball student-athlete to garner CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America honors.
Gray started all 34 matches for Pitt and appeared in all but one set for the Panthers during their historic season. The Temple City, California, native ranked second in the ACC and No. 10 in the NCAA with a season hitting percentage of .417. Gray also paced the Panthers and ranked second in the ACC with 43 service aces.
A graduate student in applied developmental psychology, Gray has recorded a perfect 4.0 grade point average in her graduate studies.
Pitt’s Kayla Lund and Chinaza Ndee and Syracuse’s Polina Shemanova each claimed All-ACC Academic Team honors for the fourth time in their careers.
A total of 22 student-athletes who earned All-ACC honors this season also secured spots on the academic team, highlighted by season award winners: Duke’s Mackenzie Cole (Defensive Player of the Year), Louisville’s Tori Dilfer (Setter of the Year) and North Carolina’s Mabrey Shaffmaster (Freshman of the Year).
Additionally, seven student-athletes on the All-ACC Freshman Team earned All-ACC Academic Team honors.
All 15 ACC volleyball programs are represented on the All-ACC Academic Team with ACC Champion Louisville leading the conference with seven student-athletes on the academic team, followed by Pitt with six. Duke and Notre Dame had five selections each.
Nine members of the team were named All-Americans, 22 received All-Region honors and 30 earned All-ACC distinction.
The ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were established in September of 2007 to be awarded annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in their respective sports. Candidates for the awards must have maintained a 3.0-grade point average for their careers, as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0-grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
The ACC Honor Roll, which recognizes all conference student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.0 for the current academic year, will be released in July.
2021 ACC Volleyball Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Amaya Tillman***, Louisville, Jr., MB, Sport Administration
Serena Gray, Pitt, Gr., MB, Applied Developmental Psychology
2021 All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team
Amaka Chukwujekwu**, Boston College, Gr., MB, Leadership & Administration
Anna Murphy, Boston College, So., L, Management & Political Science
Clare Naughton, Boston College, Gr., OH, Political Science
Ani Clark, Clemson, Jr., MB, Accounting
Kaylee Martin, Clemson, Gr., OH, Athletic Leadership
Ava Pritchard, Clemson, Gr., MB, Athletic Leadership
Mckenna Slavik**, Clemson, Jr., S, Sport Communications
Mackenzie Cole***, Duke, Sr., L, Psychology
Lizzie Fleming, Duke, Jr., MB, Political Science
Gracie Johnson, Duke, Jr., OH, Italian Studies
Ade Owokoniran, Duke, Sr., MB/OH, International Comparative
Alex Springate, Duke, Sr., S, Economics
Morgan Chacon**, Florida State, Gr., OH, Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Emma Clothier***, Florida State, Jr., MB, Public Health
Emery Dupes, Florida State, Fr., L, Exploratory
Audrey Koenig, Florida State, Fr., OH, Pre-Biology
Bianca Bertolino, Georgia Tech, Fr., OH, Biology
Mariana Brambilla***, Georgia Tech, Sr., RS, Psychology
Matti McKissock**, Georgia Tech, Sr., S, Business Administration
Breland Morrissette, Georgia Tech, Sr., MB, Business Administration
Claire Chaussee, Louisville, Sr., OH, Sport Administration
Anna DeBeer**, Louisville, So., OH, Health & Human Performance
Tori Dilfer***, Louisville, Gr., S, Marketing
Aiko Jones***, Louisville, R-Jr., OPP, Biology/Communications
Elena Scott, Louisville, Fr., L/DS, Undeclared
Anna Stevenson***, Louisville, Jr., MB, Sport Administration
Angela Grieve, Miami, Jr., OH, Sport Administration
Priscilla Hernandez, Miami, Sr., L, Management
Peyman Yardimci, Miami, Fr., OH, Business Technology
Mabrey Shaffmaster, North Carolina, Fr., OH, Exercise and Sport Science
Karenna Wurl**, North Carolina, Jr., L/DS, Media and Journalism
Melissa Evans**, NC State, Gr., OPP, Liberal Studies
Kaylee Frazier**, NC State, Gr., DS/L, Applied Statistics & Data Management
Taylor Rowland, NC State, Sr., OH, Elementary Education
Aubrey Hamilton**, Notre Dame, So., OH, Psychology
Lindsay Miller**, Notre Dame, So., MB, Environmental Sciences
Hattie Monson**, Notre Dame, So., L, Biological Sciences
Charley Niego, Notre Dame, Sr., OH, Management Consulting
Zoe Nunez**, Notre Dame, Sr., S, Marketing
Lexis Akeo**, Pitt, Jr., S, Accounting
Ashley Browske, Pitt, Jr., L/DS, Psychology
Kylee Levers, Pitt, Gr., S, Management
Kayla Lund****, Pitt, Gr., OH, Applied Developmental Psychology
Chinaza Ndee****, Pitt, Sr., RS, Psychology
Abby Casiano, Syracuse, Jr., MB, Food Studies
Elena Karakasi, Syracuse, Sr., S, Nutrition
Polina Shemanova****, Syracuse, Sr., OH, Communication & Rhetorical Studies and Linguistic Studies
Grace Turner, Virginia, Sr., OH, Educational Psychology (Masters)
Mary Shaffer, Virginia, So., RS/OH, Pre-Commerce
Griere Hughes, Virginia Tech, Sr., OH, Leadership
Logan Mosley, Virginia Tech, Jr., L/DS, Human Development
Brie Postema, Virginia Tech, So., S, Business
Natasha Vipond, Virginia Tech, Sr., MB, Civil Engineering
Andrea Fuentes, Wake Forest, Gr., S, Intercultural Services: Healthcare
Kamryn Malloy, Wake Forest, Gr., OH, Counseling
Ashley Slater**, Wake Forest, So., OH, Undeclared
Kalani Whillock, Wake Forest, Fr., DS/L, Undeclared
*denotes career All-ACC Academic honors