WIlma Rivera Named ACC Setter of the Year, Three Named First Team All-ACC

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – University of Louisville senior Wilma Rivera has been named ACC Setter of the Year and joined the First Team All-ACC Squad with her teammates Melanie McHenry and Molly Sauer.

Florida State junior outside hitter Payton Caffrey was named the 2018 ACC Volleyball Player of the Year announced Monday. The awards were based on a vote of the league's 15 head coaches, who could not vote for their own student-athletes.

There were two repeat winners, as ACC Champion Pitt's Dan Fisher took home Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season, and Louisville's Wilma Rivera earned her second consecutive Setter of the Year laurels.

Notre Dame libero Ryann DeJarld was named Defensive Player of the Year, while Polina Shemanova, Syracuse's rookie outside hitter, was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year.

Rivera's second consecutive Setter of the Year honor marks the third time in the last four years the award has gone to a Louisville Cardinal, with Katie George receiving the honor in 2015. Rivera, a Louisville native leads the ACC in assists per set with 11.12. She ranks second in the league with 1,212 total assists.

DeJarld is the first Notre Dame student-athlete to be named Defensive Player of the Year. The senior from Chicago ranks first in the ACC in digs per set with 5.02, and total digs with 532. DeJarld leads an Irish squad that holds the top spot in the league in digs per set (16.25), total digs (1723) and opponent hitting percentage (.164).

Shemanova is the first Freshman of the Year honoree from Syracuse. The St. Petersburg, Russia, native sits at second in the ACC in kills per set (4.25), total kills (425), points per set (4.66) and total points (465.5).

Fisher led Pitt to its second straight ACC Championship, and first outright ACC title in program history. In his sixth year leading the Panthers, Fisher has guided Pitt to its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and has seen four players named to the 2018 All-ACC Team.

Eleven different schools are represented on the All-ACC Team, led by Notre Dame's five honorees. Four student-athletes were recognized from Pitt, followed by three from Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Louisville, NC State and Syracuse. Georgia Tech and Miami each had two selections, and Virginia Tech had one.

Five ACC teams earned berths in the 2018 NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship: Duke, Florida State, Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse. The first round of play is set for Nov. 29 and Nov. 30.

2018 ACC VOLLEYBALL INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Payton Caffrey, Jr., OH, Florida State

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ryann DeJarld, Sr., L, Notre Dame

SETTER OF THE YEAR
Wilma Rivera, Sr., S, Louisville

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Polina Shemanova, OH, Syracuse

COACH OF THE YEAR
Dan Fisher, Pitt

FIRST TEAM ALL-ACC
Leah Meyer***, Jr., MB, Duke
Andie Shelton, Gr., S, Duke
Payton Caffrey, Jr., OH, Florida State
Taryn Knuth**, So., MB, Florida State
Wilma Rivera**, Sr., S, Louisville
Melanie McHenry**, Jr., OH, Louisville
Molly Sauer****, Sr., L, Louisville
Haley Templeton****, Sr., S, Miami
Layne Van Buskirk^**, Jr., MH, Pitt
Nika Markovic***, Jr., RS, Pitt
Kayla Lund**, So., OH, Pitt
Stephanie Williams***, Jr., OH, Pitt
Santita Ebangwese^***, Sr., MB, Syracuse
Polina Shemanova, Fr., OH, Syracuse

SECOND TEAM ALL-ACC
Brooke Bailey, So., OH, Clemson
Kelsey Wicinski, Sr., L, Florida State
Mikaila Dowd, Fr., OH, Georgia Tech
Elizaveta Lukianova, So., OH, Miami
Kylie Pickrell**, Sr., S, NC State
Teni Sopitan, Sr., OH, NC State
Melissa Evans**, So., RS, NC State
Ryann DeJarld***, Sr., L, Notre Dame
Charley Niego, Fr., OH, Notre Dame
Sydney Bent, Fr., OH, Notre Dame
Zoe Nunez, Fr., S, Notre Dame
Jemma Yeadon***, Jr., OH, Notre Dame
Amber Witherspoon, Sr., MB, Syracuse
Jaila Tolbert***, Sr., RS, Virginia Tech

ALL-FRESHMEN TEAM
Gabby Easton, S, Clemson
Solei Thomas, RS, Clemson
Ade Owokoniran, OH, Duke
Mikaila Dowd, OH, Georgia Tech
Mariana Brambilla, OH, Georgia Tech
Zoe Nunez, S, Notre Dame
Charley Niego, OH, Notre Dame
Sydney Bent, OH, Notre Dame
Polina Shemanova, OH, Syracuse

^denotes unanimous selection
*denotes number of All-ACC honors

University of Louisville Athletics

WIlma Rivera Named ACC Setter of the Year, Three Named First Team All-ACC

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Melanie McHenry

Wilma Rivera

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