November 28, 2006

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Two Virginia Tech volleyball players garnered the program's first Atlantic Coast Conference postseason awards. Senior Katie Esbrook has become the first player to be named to an All-ACC team, taking first-team honors, while freshman Taylor Parrish has earned the schools first All-ACC Freshman Team selection.

Esbrook, one of the most efficient hitters in Tech's history, helped lead the Hokies to a 17-14 overall record and a sixth place finish in the ACC, going 11-11 in the conference. She led the team in hitting percentage all four of her seasons in Blacksburg, and hit .340 this season (.324 in her career), good for second in the conference. She averaged 2.62 kills per game and finished fifth on the program's kills list with 1,285 total kills. She collected 134 total blocks to lead the team for the third season - second consecutive - and placed 10^th in the conference. She set a school record for block assists in a career (374) and landed a .762 mark in her final contest, the fourth-best hitting percentage in a single-match for a Tech player.

Parrish, easily one of the best freshmen to have ever played at Tech, led the team in kills this season. Knocking down 444 kills, she became just the second freshman in program history to break the 400-kill mark and is tied for 10^th in Tech's single-season records book. Ranked seventh in the conference with 3.73 kills per game, Parrish posted 10 double-doubles this season and was named MVP of two tournaments.

All-ACC First Team
Allison Anderson, Boston College
Jeannette Abbot, Clemson
Carrie DeMange, Duke
Katie Esbrook, Virginia Tech
Ali Hausfeld, Duke
Danielle Hepburn, Clemson
Emily Kirkwood, Virginia
Ulrike Stegemann, Georgia Tech
Makini Thompson, Florida State

All-ACC Second Team
Jade Brown, Maryland
Didem Ege, Clemson
Lindsey Gray, Georgia Tech
Tealle Hunkus, Duke
Sarah Kirkwood, Virginia
Ciara Michel, Miami
Rachael Moss, Duke
Natalie Mullikin, Wake Forest
Katie Oakes, Virginia

All-ACC Freshman Team
Brianna Barry, Florida State
Lauren Dickson, Virginia
Didem Ege, Clemson
Rachael Moss, Duke
Kelsey Murphy, Clemson
Taylor Parrish, Virginia Tech

ACC Player of the Year
Ali Hausfeld, Duke

ACC Freshman of the Year
Rachael Moss, Duke

ACC Coach of the Year
Jolene Nagel, Duke