CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Duke’s Kerry Keefe and Georgia Tech’s Paola Pimentel earned Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week honors, respectively, while Miami’s Savannah Vach was named Setter of the Week and GT’s Larissa Mendes and Pitt’s Olivia Babcock shared Freshman of the Week laurels.
Keefe led the Blue Devils in Duke’s undefeated weekend with 42 kills to average 4.67 kills per set along with a .480 hitting percentage. Against Loyola Maryland, the Pacific Palisades, California, native registered a career-high 24 kills to hit .538 percent to help Duke secure its 1,000th-program win, becoming the 43rd program in NCAA Volleyball history to hit that mark. Keefe helped in the Blue Devils’ five-set comeback thriller against West Virginia, contributing 18 kills on a .417 outing. She added two aces, 14 digs and four blocks on the weekend.
Pimentel anchored the Yellow Jackets’ defense as 11th-ranked Georgia Tech took down No. 12 Ohio State in back-to-back 3-1 victories. The senior libero from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, recorded 45 digs, averaging 5.63 per set. She registered 22 on Friday – one shy of her career high – before putting up 23 on Saturday – tying her career high. Pimentel now leads the league in digs per set at 5.13 and owns the third-highest tally for digs in a single match in the conference this season (23). Pimentel’s performance pushed Georgia Tech to its 31st-ranked victory all-time as well as securing its third straight top-15 win for the first time in program history.
Vach compiled 142 assists for the Hurricanes over the second week of play to continue to lead the league in assists per set at 11.53. The fifth-year setter recorded 51 assists in a loss to South Carolina for a .359 average in the match, before picking up 36 against Troy for a .562 percentage. The Winter Springs, Florida, native has helped push Miami to second in the conference for team assists (14.81) and kills (14.68).
Mendes also helped GT to consecutive wins over the Buckeyes, spearheading the Yellow Jacket attack with 30 kills, averaging 3.75 a set with a .286 clip over the weekend. Defensively, she added 19 digs and three blocks. In Friday’s matchup, the Fortaleza, Brazil, native led the team with 14 kills, hitting .303, before Saturday’s double-double of 16 kills and a career-high 14 digs to lead Georgia Tech to a 4-0 start to the season.
Babcock’s strong presence on the court helped No. 10 Pitt defeat No. 15 Kentucky twice over the weekend with 42 kills, hitting at a .476 clip. On Friday, the freshman right side posted a career-high 11 kills to hit .500 while adding two blocks. Then, on Sunday, Babcock led the team and recorded a new career-high with 13 kills against the Wildcats, hitting .458. The Los Angeles native put up a career-high seven blocks, three digs and two assists in the Panthers’ weekend sweep.
2023 ACC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week
Aug. 28 - Anna DeBeer, Louisville
Sept. 4 – Kerry Keefe, Duke
2023 ACC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
Aug. 28 - Emma Farrell, Wake Forest
Sept. 4 – Paola Pimentel, Georgia Tech
2023 ACC Volleyball Setter of the Week
Aug. 28 - Emma Worthington, Duke
Sept. 4 – Savannah Vach, Miami
2023 ACC Volleyball Freshman of the Week
Aug. 28 - Kennedy Wagner, Clemson
Sept. 4 – Larissa Mendes, Georgia Tech | Olivia Babcock, Pitt