CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Virginia Tech graduate center Elizabeth Kitley has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo earned Rookie of the Week honors. Kitley earns her 10th career weekly honor, while Hidalgo claims her third Rookie of the Week award this season.
ACC women’s basketball weekly awards are voted on by the league’s Blue Ribbon Panel.
Kitley averaged 26.7 points and 12.0 rebounds and shot 58.9 percent (33-for-56) from the field, as Virginia Tech finished a perfect 3-0 last week. Prior to her trip to the Cayman Islands Classic, the Summerfield, North Carolina, native dropped in a game-high 31 points with 10 boards in a 72-51 home victory over UNCG last Monday. In Friday’s one-point win over Kansas, Kitley scored 31 of the team’s 59 points and added 18 rebounds and five blocks, becoming the first ACC player in over 25 seasons to post 30 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks in a game. She closed out her trip to the Caribbean on Saturday with 18 points and eight boards in the Hokies’ 76-70 victory over Tulane. For her efforts, she was named to the Cayman Islands Classic All-Tournament Team.
Hidalgo averaged 24.0 points and 5.5 steals per contest, as she led Notre Dame to wins over Chicago State and Ball State. In just 18 minutes on the floor against Chicago State, the Haddonfield, New Jersey, native dropped a game-high 23 points on 11-for-14 (.786) from the field en route to a 113-35 win. On Friday, Hidalgo recorded another game-high with 25 points, five rebounds, seven assists and eight steals in a 90-59 triumph at Ball State. The freshman currently leads the ACC in scoring at 25.0 points per game, while defensively, she leads the conference with 6.3 steals per contest.
A nation-best six ACC teams are ranked in the latest Associated Press (AP) Poll. Claiming its second win over a top-5 team this season last Saturday, NC State (7-0) leads the way at No. 5, while Virginia Tech (5-1) remains at No. 9. Florida State (5-1) is No. 15, Notre Dame (5-1) is No. 18, Louisville (6-1) is No. 22 and North Carolina (5-2) is No. 24.
The inaugural ACC-SEC Challenge begins Wednesday and will feature four ranked matchups over the two-day event. On Wednesday, No. 18 Notre Dame heads to No. 20 Tennessee (5 p.m., ESPN2), while No. 22 Louisville travels to No. 19 Mississippi (9:15 p.m., ESPNU). On Thursday, No. 24 North Carolina plays host to No. 1 South Carolina (7 p.m., ESPN) and No. 9 Virginia Tech visits No. 7 LSU in a matchup that features two Final Four squads from last season (9 p.m., ESPN). Both men’s and women’s Challenge events will feature games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ACC Network and SEC Network.
2023-24 ACC Player of the Week Honors
Nov. 13 – Saniya Rivers, NC State
Nov. 20 – Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Nov. 27 – Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
2023-24 ACC Rookie of the Week Honors
Nov. 13 – Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Nov. 20 – Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Nov. 27 – Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame