December 20, 2006

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Two Virginia Tech volleyball players were named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) University Division state volleyball team. Katie Esbrook was a first-team selection and Taylor Parrish was named to the second-team. This marks the third year Esbrook has been selected to the team, as she was a second-team pick in both 2003 and 2004.

The VaSID team is selected by the sports information staffs from schools around the state of Virginia.

Esbrook, a senior and four-year starter for the Hokies, ended her career with a school-record .324 hitting percentage and 374 block assists. She also ranks second with 461 blocks and fifth with 1,285 kills in her career. This season, Esbrook became the first Tech volleyball player to be honored as an AVCA All-America honorable mention selection and was the Hokies' first AVCA All-Region pick, as she was named to the East-Region first-team.

As the programs first member of an All-ACC team, Esbrook garnered first-team honors after being ranked among the conference leaders in both hitting percentage and blocks throughout the season. She led the ACC in hitting percentage in conference-only matches with a .368 mark and was second in all matches, hitting. 340. She ranked 10^th in blocking, averaging 1.14 blocks per game.

Throughout her career, Esbrook has been named to four all-tournament teams, including two appearances on the Hokie Fall Invitational team, in both 2004 and 2006. She was honored as a Virginia Tech Athlete of the Week three times, twice this past season, and was a preseason All-ACC pick in both 2005 and 2006. While in the BIG EAST, she earned All-BIG EAST honorable mention honors her freshman year. As the sole freshman on any state list in 2003, Esbrook also became the third player in Tech history to be named to the AVCA All-Northeast team as an honorable mention. Ana Lang and Cheryl Stinson earned honorable mention status in 2002.

Parrish, one of the best freshmen to ever play for 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 the East Carolina Tournament and the Hokie Fall Invitational.

The Hokies finished the season with a 17-14 mark, 11-11 in conference play, setting a program-record for ACC wins in a season.

VaSID University Division Volleyball All-State Teams

Player of the Year
Emily Kirkwood, Virginia

Coach of the Year
Disa Garner, James Madison

Rookie of the Year
Kallie Corbin, Liberty

First Team
Katie Esbrook, Virginia Tech
Ludmila Francescatto, VCU
Allyson Halls, James Madison
Emily Kirkwood, Virginia
Katie Oakes, Virginia
Jena Pierson, James Madison

Second Team
Autum Black, Liberty
Kallie Corbin, Liberty
Sarah Kirkwood, Virginia
Jaqueline Kohler, George Mason
Lauren Miles, James Madison
Rachel Newton, Radford
Taylor Parrish, Virginia Tech