Pitt Volleyball All-ACC and Awards Predictions

[chrisran24]

Here’s my prediction for Pitt’s All Americans, All-ACC team members and award winners, as well as the rest of the All-ACC team. Happy to hear everyone else’s feedback and thoughts.

First Team All American - Olivia Babcock
Second Team All American - Rachel Fairbanks
Second Team All American - Emma Monks
Honorable Mention All American - Torrey Stafford

ACC Player of the Year - Olivia Babcock
ACC Defensive Player of the Year - Elena Scott, Libero, Louisville
ACC Setter of the Year - Savannah Vach, Miami
ACC Freshman of the Year - Olivia Babcock
ACC Coach of the Year - Dan Fisher

All-ACC 1st Team
RS - Olivia Babcock, Pitt
RS - Grace Lopez, Miami
L - Elena Scott, Louisville
S - Rachel Fairbanks, Pitt
S - Savannah Vach, Miami
S - Ellie Glock, Louisville
MB - Emma Monks, Pitt
MB - Kiari Robey, FSU
MB - Khori Louis, FSU
OH - Anna DeBeer, Louisville
OH - Mabrey Shaffmaster, UNC
OH - Tamara Otene, GT
OH - Bianca Bertolino, GT
OH - Sydney Palazzolo, ND

All-ACC Second Team
OH - Gracie Johnson, Duke
OH - Charitie Luper, Louisville
OH - Torrey Stafford, Pitt
OH - Audrey Koenig, FSU
OH - Kerry Keefe, Duke
OH - Ava Brizard, NCST
MB - Chiamaka Nwokolo, Pitt
MB - Cara Cressee, Louisville
MB - Janice Leao, Miami
MB - Julia Haggerty, BC
RS - Amanda Rice, NCST
RS - Aiko Jones, Louisville
S - Emma Worthington, Duke
S - McKenna Slavik, Clemson
L - Paola Pimintel, GT

ACC All-Freshman Team
RS - Olivia Babcock, Pitt
OH - Torrey Stafford, Pitt
RS - Grace Lopez, Miami
OH - Kennedy Wagner, Clemson
MB - Kate Simington, Clemson
OH - Ava Lange, ND
OH - Halle Schroder, BC
S - Zoe Behrendt, UNC
RS - Sydney Nolan, UNC

 

[vantheman1976]

Here’s my prediction for Pitt’s All Americans, All-ACC team members and award winners, as well as the rest of the All-ACC team. Happy to hear everyone else’s feedback and thoughts.

First Team All American - Olivia Babcock
Second Team All American - Rachel Fairbanks
Second Team All American - Emma Monks
Honorable Mention All American - Torrey Stafford

ACC Player of the Year - Olivia Babcock
ACC Defensive Player of the Year - Elena Scott, Libero, Louisville
ACC Setter of the Year - Savannah Vach, Miami
ACC Freshman of the Year - Olivia Babcock
ACC Coach of the Year - Dan Fisher

All-ACC 1st Team
RS - Olivia Babcock, Pitt
RS - Grace Lopez, Miami
L - Elena Scott, Louisville
S - Rachel Fairbanks, Pitt
S - Savannah Vach, Miami
S - Ellie Glock, Louisville
MB - Emma Monks, Pitt
MB - Kiari Robey, FSU
MB - Khori Louis, FSU
OH - Anna DeBeer, Louisville
OH - Mabrey Shaffmaster, UNC
OH - Tamara Otene, GT
OH - Bianca Bertolino, GT
OH - Sydney Palazzolo, ND

All-ACC Second Team
OH - Gracie Johnson, Duke
OH - Charitie Luper, Louisville
OH - Torrey Stafford, Pitt
OH - Audrey Koenig, FSU
OH - Kerry Keefe, Duke
OH - Ava Brizard, NCST
MB - Chiamaka Nwokolo, Pitt
MB - Cara Cressee, Louisville
MB - Janice Leao, Miami
MB - Julia Haggerty, BC
RS - Amanda Rice, NCST
RS - Aiko Jones, Louisville
S - Emma Worthington, Duke
S - McKenna Slavik, Clemson
L - Paola Pimintel, GT

ACC All-Freshman Team
RS - Olivia Babcock, Pitt
OH - Torrey Stafford, Pitt
RS - Grace Lopez, Miami
OH - Kennedy Wagner, Clemson
MB - Kate Simington, Clemson
OH - Ava Lange, ND
OH - Halle Schroder, BC
S - Zoe Behrendt, UNC
RS - Sydney Nolan, UNC

 

[vantheman1976]

Good stuff Chris....here are my comments

• I think Babcock is named an AA....but not 1st team. Historically...maybe 4 or 5 freshman are named AA...but usually as Honorable Mention. I also think Babcock is in the conversation as NCAA FOTY.
• I don't think Stafford will be named an AA as a freshman.
• I agree that Babcock is as deserving as anyone to be ACC POTY.....I looked all the way back to 2010 and a freshman has never been named ACC POTY.
• Vach is probably odds on favorite as SOTY but I really think Fairbanks has made a good case to be named SOTY.
• Your ACC 1st, 2nd, and All Freshman team look like good guesses
• Where is Vasquez Gomez? She was a 2nd team AA last year....yes her role has changed....and her stats are down....but I think she will receive 2nd team ACC.

 

[chrisran24]

Good stuff Chris....here are my comments

• I think Babcock is named an AA....but not 1st team. Historically...maybe 4 or 5 freshman are named AA...but usually as Honorable Mention. I also think Babcock is in the conversation as NCAA FOTY.
• I don't think Stafford will be named an AA as a freshman.
• I agree that Babcock is as deserving as anyone to be ACC POTY.....I looked all the way back to 2010 and a freshman has never been named ACC POTY.
• Vach is probably odds on favorite as SOTY but I really think Fairbanks has made a good case to be named SOTY.
• Your ACC 1st, 2nd, and All Freshman team look like good guesses
• Where is Vasquez Gomez? She was a 2nd team AA last year....yes her role has changed....and her stats are down....but I think she will receive 2nd team ACC.

Appreciate the feedback, all really good points. A couple of thoughts:

• This is probably one of if not the best freshmen class in NCAA history. I expect there will be multiple first team AA freshmen, including Babcock. I was actually having a debate with my dad about whether a team of the best freshmen in college this year could compete with the best upperclassmen. I thought they could compete but not win, he thinks they could win.
• Stafford maybe not, but based on how many AAs Pitt has had in past years I would expect one more. Maybe it’s Chia.
• Fairbanks definitely deserves setter of the year but that may be too much Pitt for the ACC to give awards to
• If not Babcock, who do you think wins ACC POY? Debeer? Her numbers are good but not great when she isn’t playing Pitt. There really isn’t anyone else comparable
• If the ACC had an honorable mention team maybe VVG makes it but there’s so many OH this year with way better numbers than her not sure how they can justify giving her an all-ACC nod

 

[Chaos]

Fairbanks is so good-she really deserves to be setter of the year. She puts on a clinic every match. She makes some ridiculously good sets, and looks effortless while she's doing it. I'll be disappointed if she doesn't win the award, but won't be shocked. H2P

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

ACC Coach of the Year - Dan Fisher

I think the Coach of the Year is going to be Chris Poole. It seems like the voter for that award always want to give it to the coach of a team that has exceeded expectations, and Poole's team has certainly done that.

Florida State being picked for tied for 4th but finishing tied for 1st is going to sway a lot of voters.

 

[Chaos]

I think the Coach of the Year is going to be Chris Poole. It seems like the voter for that award always want to give it to the coach of a team that has exceeded expectations, and Poole's team has certainly done that.

Florida State being picked for tied for 4th but finishing tied for 1st is going to sway a lot of voters.

I agree that will be the likely outcome, although Fisher has done great job this year after the losses of last year's really good players, not to mention the loss of Kelley this year. I'm not sure qho does the voting, but on the surface it appears like FSU exceeded expectations, but in reality they benefitted from uneven scheduling. In their defense, they beat Pitt, which may have done Pitt a favor by giving them a wakeup call. H2P

 

[vantheman1976]

I agree that will be the likely outcome, although Fisher has done great job this year after the losses of last year's really good players, not to mention the loss of Kelley this year. I'm not sure qho does the voting, but on the surface it appears like FSU exceeded expectations, but in reality they benefitted from uneven scheduling. In their defense, they beat Pitt, which may have done Pitt a favor by giving them a wakeup call. H2P

I think not....Fisher will win it...

 

[chrisran24]

I think not....Fisher will win it...

Agreed. With Pitt getting a top seed and doing it with their two best hitters as freshmen and having lost a preseason All-ACC it would be a crime for him to not win it and I think voters will agree

 

[Chaos]

Agreed. With Pitt getting a top seed and doing it with their two best hitters as freshmen and having lost a preseason All-ACC it would be a crime for him to not win it and I think voters will agree

I hope so. Who are the voters? Are they media/writers, or people who actually know the details of what a phenominal coaching job Fisher has done this year?