CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Louisville’s Anna DeBeer and Pitt’s Rachel Fairbanks have been named the Atlantic Coast Conference 2023 Volleyball Scholar-Athletes of the Year and headline the sport’s All-ACC Academic Team announced Wednesday.
DeBeer is a senior at Louisville earning her degree in exercise science. The outside hitter and Louisville, Kentucky, native, was named the 2023 ACC Co-Player of the Year. A First-Team All-ACC selection, DeBeer was also named the AVCA East Region Player of the Year and was a Second-Team AVCA All-American and a First-Team CSC Academic All-American. Additionally, she earned AVCA All-East Region honors.
A team captain for the Cardinals, DeBeer has proven herself as mainstay for Louisville over the last four years. This season, she led the Cards in kills, points and double-doubles, while helping guide Louisville to a No. 2 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and make a run to the Elite 8.
The senior posted a career-high 29 kills in a gritty five-set thriller against Pitt on November 18 – the most kills in a five-set ACC match this season. She became a member of Louisville’s 1,000-kill club and earned two ACC Offensive Player of the Week awards this season.
Fairbanks is a junior at Pitt studying finance. The setter and Tustin, California, native was named the 2023 ACC Setter of the Year. The First-Team All-ACC selection was named the AVCA East Coast Regional Player of the Year and was a First-Team AVCA All-American and a Second-Team CSC Academic All-American. She also earned AVCA All-East Coast Regional honors.
The four-time 2023 ACC Setter of the Week recorded a career-high 933 assists on the season, while adding 190 digs, 59 kills, 52 blocks and 22 aces to lead Pitt to its third-straight National Semifinals appearance. Additionally, Fairbanks set the Panthers to a program-best .303 season hitting percentage.
She recorded 48 assists in the rematch of the historic 2022 All-ACC Final Four matchup between Louisville and Pitt, marking the second-most assists in Panther history in an NCAA Tournament match. For her efforts, Fairbanks landed a spot on the Pittsburgh Regional NCAA All-Tournament Team.
DeBeer, along with Clemson’s Mckenna Slavik, Notre Dame’s Hattie Monson and Pitt’s Lexis Akeo all earned their fourth All-ACC Academic Team honors.
Twenty-six student-athletes who earned All-ACC honors this season also secured spots on the academic team, highlighted by every season award winner in DeBeer and Audrey Koenig (Co-Players), Elena Scott (Defensive Player), Fairbanks (Setter) and Olivia Babcock (Freshman). 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 Boston College leading the conference with 14 student-athletes followed by ACC Co-Champion Pitt with 13, Wake Forest with 12, Notre Dame with 11, Duke and Virginia with 10 and Florida State, Georgia Tech and Syracuse with nine.
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.
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. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests.
2023 ACC Volleyball Scholar Athletes of the Year
Anna DeBeer****, Louisville, Sr., OH, Exercise Science
Rachel Fairbanks**, Pitt, Jr., S, Finance
2023 All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team
Alayna Crabtree, Boston College, Sr., OH, Biology
Julia Haggerty**, Boston College, MB/OPP, Management
Katrina Hedberg-Jensen**, Boston College, Sr., OH, Biology
Samantha Hoppes, Boston College, Fr., OPP, Management
Sophia Lambros**, Boston College, Sr., S, Management
Grace Milliken**, Boston College, So., MB, Management
Anna Murphy***, Boston College, Sr., L, Management / Political Science
Grace Penn**, Boston College, Sr., S, Management
Jane Petrie**, Boston College, Jr., S, Management
Jenna Pollock, Boston College, Jr., MB/OPP, Management
Cornelia Roach, Boston College, Jr., MB, Management / Theology
Halle Schroder, Boston College, Fr., OH, Management
Chandler Swanson, Boston College, Fr., DS, Applied Psychology and Human Development
Brooklyn Yelland, Boston College, Fr., DS, Management
Azyah Dailey**, Clemson, Jr., OH, Sociology
McKenna Gildon, Clemson, Fr., DS, Pre-Business
Katie Hurta, Clemson, R-Fr., OPP, Financial Management
Adria Powell, Clemson, Sr., MB, Athletic Leadership (MA)
Kate Simington, Clemson, Fr., MB, Pre-Business
Mckenna Slavik****, Clemson, Sr., S, Athletic Leadership (MA)
Devan Taylor**, Clemson, Jr., L, Bioengineering
Kateryna Tkachenko, Clemson, Sr., OH, Psychology
Christina Barrow, Duke, So., DS, Undeclared
Madison Bryant, Duke, Gr. L, Liberal Studies (MA)
Lizzie Fleming***, Duke, Gr., Management Studies (MA)
Gracie Johnson***, Duke, Gr., Management Studies (MA)
Kerry Keefe***, Duke, So., OH, Undeclared
Millie Muir, Duke, So., S, Undeclared
Rachel Richardson**, Duke, Jr., OH, Psychology
Jessica Robinson, Duke, Gr., MB, Management Studies (MA)
Nikki Underwood**, Duke, Jr., DS, Psychology
Emma Worthington, Duke, Gr., S, Management Studies (MA)
Sydney Conley, Florida State, Sr., OH, Sociology
Andjelija Draskovic**, Florida State, Gr., S, Social Science
Kyleene Filimaua, Florida State, Fr., OH, Sport Management
Ella Gaona, Florida State, Fr., L, Marketing
Addison Hultquist, Florida State, Jr., L, Exercise Physiology
Audrey Koenig**, Florida State, Jr., OH, Marketing
Kenna Phelan, Florida State, Fr., S, Art Studio
Audrey Rothman**, Florida State, So., OH, Marketing
Madeline Snider, Florida State, Fr., RS, Exercise Physiology
Bianca Bertolino, Georgia Tech, Jr., OH, Biology
Anna Boezi, Georgia Tech, So., MB, Biomedical Engineering
Bella D'Amico**, Georgia Tech, Sr., S, Business Administration
Afedo Manyang, Georgia Tech, Gr., RS, History, Technology, and Society
Larissa Mendes, Georgia Tech, Fr., RS, Biology
Elizabeth Patterson, Georgia Tech, Sr., L/DS, Business Administration
Paola Pimentel**, Georgia Tech, Gr., L/DS, Business Administration
Lauren Sanden, Georgia Tech, Jr., L/DS, Biomedical Engineering
Heloise Soares, Georgia Tech, Fr., S, Business Administration
Ayden Bartlett**, Louisville, Sr., L/DS, Sustainability
Cara Cresse**, Louisville, Jr., MB, Communication
Anna DeBeer****, Louisville, Sr., OH, Exercise Science
Elle Glock, Louisville, Jr., S, Biology
Charitie Luper, Louisville, Jr., OH, Psychology
Brigitta Petrenko, Louisville, Gr., S, Sport Administration
Reese Robins, Louisville, Fr., MB, French
Ceci Rush**, Louisville, Sr., L/DS, Biology
Kamden Schrand, Louisville, Fr., L/DS, Business / Undecided
Elena Scott***, Louisville, Jr., L/DS, Communication
Abby Casiano**, Miami, Sr., MB, Religious Studies
Janice Leao**, Miami, Gr., MB, Business Administration (MA)
Milana Moisio**, Miami, So., L, Elementary Education
Cianna Tejada, Miami, Jr., MB, Biology
Savannah Vach**, Miami, Gr., S, Taxation
Alanys Viera, Miami, Jr., S, Broadcast Journalism
Peyman Yardimci, Miami, Jr., OH, Business Technology
Anita Babic**, North Carolina, So., S, Undecided
Zoe Behrendt, North Carolina, Fr., S, Undecided
Maddy May**, North Carolina, Jr., DS, Exercise and Sport Science
Marissa Meyerhoefer, North Carolina, Sr., DS, Business Administration
Sydney Nolan, North Carolina, Fr., MB, Communication Studies
Carson Overbeck**, North Carolina, Jr., DS, Global Studies
Sadie Swift, North Carolina, Jr., MB, Biomedical and Health Science Engineering
Romani Thurman, North Carolina, So., OH, Communication Studies
Ava Brizard**, NC State, So., OH, Business Management
Noami Cabello, NC State, Sr., S, Sport Management
Sydney Daniels, NC State, So., DS, Psychology
Martyna Leoniak**, NC State, Jr., OH, Business Management
Amanda Rice, NC State, Jr, OPP, Biological Sciences
Riley Shaak, NC State, Sr., MB, Communications
Maisie Alexander**, Notre Dame, So., L/DS, Finance
Cailey Dockery**, Notre Dame, So., L/DS, Neuroscience and Behavior
Nicole Drewnick, Notre Dame, Gr., S, Nonprofit Administration (MA)
Ava Lange, Notre Dame, Fr., OH, Finance
Alyssa Manitzas, Notre Dame, Fr., L/DS, Strategic Management
Charity McDowell**, Notre Dame, Sr., MB, Pre-Professional
Hattie Monson****, Notre Dame, Sr., L/DS, Science-Business??
Sydney Palazzolo, Notre Dame, Jr., OH, Pre-Professional
Phyona Schrader, Notre Dame, Jr., S, Computer Engineering
Lauren Tarnoff**, Notre Dame, Sr., MB, Design
Lucy Trump**, Notre Dame, So., OH, Psychology
Lexis Akeo****, Pitt, Gr., S, Management
Olivia Babcock, Pitt, Fr., RS, Undeclared
Blaire Bayless, Pitt, Fr., RS, Undeclared
Rachel Fairbanks**, Pitt, Jr., S, Finance
Cat Flood**, Pitt, Sr., OH, Media & Prof Communications
Dillyn Griffin**, Pitt, So., L/DS, Undeclared
Emily Klika**, Pitt, Sr., L/DS, Natural Sciences Area
Emma Monks, Pitt, Gr., MB, Non-degree
Logan Mosley***, Pitt, Sr., L/DS, Non-degree
Chiamaka Nwokolo**, Pitt, Gr., MB, Human Resource Law
Torrey Stafford, Pitt, Fr., OH, Undeclared
Haiti Tautua'a, Pitt, So., S, Undeclared
Valeria Vazquez Gomez**, Pitt, Gr., OH, Health and Physical Activity
Cherlin Antonio, Syracuse, Jr., OH, International Relations
Alyssa Bert**, Syracuse, Gr., L/DS, Teaching & Curriculum
Melina Brooking, Syracuse, So., L/DS, Biochemistry
Zharia Harris-Waddy, Syracuse, Fr., MB, Recording Entertainment & Industries
Mira Ledermueller, Syracuse, Fr., S, Psychology
Lauren McCabe, Syracuse, Gr., MB, Global Health
Greta Schlichter, Syracuse, Fr., L/DS, Bioengineering
Veronica Sierzant, Syracuse, Fr., S, Finance
Laila Smith, Syracuse, Jr., MB, Communication & Rhetorical Studies
GG Carvacho**, Virginia, Sr., OH, Sociology
Milan Gomillion, Virginia, Jr., L/DS, Youth & Social Innovation
Ciera Hecht, Virginia, Gr., OH, Higher Education
Kate Johnson**, Virginia, So., L/DS, Biology
Ashley Le**, Virginia, Jr., S, Media Studies
Madison Morey**, Virginia, Sr., L/DS, Media Studies
Abby Tadder**, Virginia, Jr., MB, Economics
Regan Trueblood, Virginia, Gr., S, Education Non-degree
Heyli Velasquez**, Virginia, Jr., L/DS, Media Studies
Chloe Wilson**, Virginia, Sr., OH/RS, Psychology
Veresia Yon**, Virginia, Gr., MB, Education Non-degree
Olivia Angell, Virginia Tech, Fr., L/DS, Sustainable Biology
Elizabeth Aylward, Virginia Tech, Fr., OH, Psychology
Hanna Borer**, Virginia Tech, So., S, Criminology
Sierra Cates, Virginia Tech, So., L/DS, Biology
Elayna Duprey**, Virginia Tech, Jr., OH/RS, Sport Media Analytics
Ava Francis**, Virginia Tech, Jr., OH, Criminology
Cara Lewis, Virginia Tech, Sr., MB, Sociology
Hailey Pearce, Virginia Tech, Fr., RS, Business
Sydney Petersen**, Virginia Tech, Gr., MB, Public Health
Jasmine Robinson, Virginia Tech, Jr., MB, Human Development
Kylie Adams, Wake Forest, Sr., S, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rian Baker**, Wake Forest, So., S, Undeclared
Dior Charles, Wake Forest, Fr., MB, Undeclared
Paige Crawford**, Wake Forest, So., OH, Undeclared
Audrey Douglas, Wake Forest, Sr., MB, Economics
Olivia Fish, Wake Forest, Fr., OH, Undeclared
Olivia Franke, Wake Forest, Sr., MB, Politics & International Affairs
Emmy Ogogor**, Wake Forest, Fifth-year, MB, Health & Exercise Science
Kendall Phillips, Wake Forest, Jr., DS, Health & Exercise Science
Ashley Slater***, Wake Forest, Sr., OH/RS, Health & Exercise Science
Ava Torrance, Wake Forest, Gr., DS, Project Management
Kalani Whillock**, Wake Forest, Jr., DS, Environmental & Sustainability Studies