CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) - The Atlantic Coast Conference leads all conferences with five student-athletes selected as semifinalists for the 2026 AVCA Division I Volleyball Player of the Year Watch List.
Louisville and Pitt each have two players on the watch list, while SMU has one. The ACC’s five selections highlights the league’s depth at the national level, with all three programs ranked among the nation’s top five in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Poll.
Louisville junior setter Nayelis Cabello has directed one of the ACC’s most efficient offenses, helping the Cardinals rank second in the league in hitting percentage (.305) and kills per set (13.98). The Clermont, Florida, native ranks fifth in the conference with 10.34 assists per set and has totaled 858 assists this season.
Louisville junior outside hitter Chloe Chicoine leads the Cardinals with 340 kills and 377.0 points this season. Chicoine ranks eighth in the ACC with 3.82 kills per set and ninth with 4.24 points per set, while adding 16 service aces and 222 digs.
Pitt senior right-side hitter Olivia Babcock, the two-time and reigning AVCA Division I National Player of the Year, continues to lead one of the nation’s top teams. The Los Angeles native leads the nation in points per set with 6.02 and ranks among the top five nationally in kills per set at 5.03. Her 382 total kills and 457.5 points both lead the Panthers, while she also paces the ACC in kills and points per set.
Pitt setter Izzy Starck, the 2024 AVCA National Freshman of the Year, has helped Pitt post the league’s highest hitting percentage (.336) and most kills per set (14.33). The junior from Viera, Florida, has totaled 839 assists this season and ranks fifth in the league in assists per set (10.49). Starck has also added 213 digs, 62.0 total blocks and 33 kills the one-loss Panthers.
SMU junior middle blocker Favor Anyanwu has been a force at the net for the Mustangs, ranking second in the ACC with 1.60 blocks per set. The Rowlett, Texas, native has totaled 144 blocks and is fourth in the league in hitting percentage at .391 and has recorded 207 kills this season.
Cabello, Chicoine, Starck and Anyanwu are each first-time semifinalists, while Babcock is seeking her third consecutive AVCA Division I Player of the Year Award.
The 2026 AVCA Player of the Year Finalists will be announced on Monday, December 14, while the winner will be revealed at the AVCA Awards banquet in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday, December 18.