Bitting, de Kuijer, Sowry Earn ACC Field Hockey Yearly Honors

The University of Louisville's Alli Bitting has been named the Atlantic Coach Conference Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Year, while goalkeeper Mila de Kuijer was selected as the conference's Freshman of the Year and Justine Sowry was tabbed as ACC Coach of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches.

In addition to earning two of the league's major awards, Bitting and de Kuijer joined teammates Julie Kouijzer and Aimee Plumb on the All-ACC first team while Katie Schneider was named to the second team. Louisville led all schools with four first-team selections.

Alli Bitting, ACC Defensive Player of the Year
Alli Bitting (Hummelstown, Pa.) has been a defensive mainstay for a Louisville team that has allowed just 16 goals in 18 games (an ACC-leading .848 goals allowed per contest) while posting seven shutouts. The fifth-year defender has also registered two goals and dished out three assists. She was a 2021 Preseason All-ACC selection and earned conference Defensive Player of the Week honors in August.

The team co-captain has established a solid resume, earning NFHCA All-America second team honors in 2019 and 2020. A three-time All-West Region selection, Bitting was also named to the 2020 NCAA All-Tournament Team following the Cardinals first-ever Final Four appearance.

Bitting also takes home her third straight All-ACC nod, earning second team honors in 2019 and 2020.

Mila de Kuijer, ACC Freshman of the Year
Mila de Kuijer (Leiden, The Netherlands) has been impressive in her rookie season, leading the ACC with seven shutouts, an 0.85 goals against average, a save percentage of .805 and as well as 0.39 shutouts per game. She opened the season with back-to-back shutouts against Ohio and New Hampshire and went to hold five more teams scoreless including ACC opponents Virginia and Duke along with No. 25 James Madison. She currently stands seventh on Louisville's all-time list for shutouts in a season

The goalkeeper has played every minute in the cage in her rookie campaign and posted a career-high eight saves in the 2-1 double overtime win against No. 15 Wake Forest. She has not allowed more than two goals in a game this season.

Justine Sowry, ACC Coach of the Year
Sowry earns her first ACC Coach of the Year honor after leading the Cardinals to the ACC regular season title with a perfect 6-0 record against league opponents. Louisville finished the regular season with a 16-2 overall mark, tying a school record that was originally established in 2001 and matched by the 2016 squad.

The Cardinals, who were picked to finished tied for fifth in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, have spent the entire season ranked among the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) Top 10, reaching as high as No. 3. In addition to holding the No. 4 spot in the latest NFHCA national rankings, Louisville also holds the fourth spot in the latest NCAA RPI heading into postseason.

In her 11 seasons at Louisville, Sowry has guided the Cardinals to 153 wins along with three conference titles, including the 2021 regular season championship and 2020 ACC fall regular season crown as well as a pair of runner-up finishes in the ACC tournament.

Under Sowry's tutelage, Louisville has made six NCAA tournament appearances. After earning national seeds in 2019 and 2020, the Cardinals advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2019 and reached the semifinals for the first time in program history in the 2020 campaign.

Julie Kouijzer, All-ACC First Team
Julie Kouijzer is in the midst of a career-best season with five goals and leads the team with eight assists while standing tied for second on the team with 18 points.

The three-time ACC Defensive Player of the Week this season (Sept. 7, Sept. 28, Nov. 2) has helped lead Louisville's defense to seven shutouts and a 0.85 team goals against average.

The three-year starter from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, is a 2020-21 NFHCA All-West Region second team honoree and two-time ACC Tournament selection (2019, 2020).

Aimee Plumb, All-ACC First Team
Aimee Plumb finished the regular season on a strong note, scoring six goals and delivering two assists over the last five games. The sophomore forward has tallied a career-high seven goals including the game-winners at No. 25 James Madison and at No. 10 North Carolina – registering a pair of scores in the 3-2 overtime victory against the Tar Heels.

The two-time ACC Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 19, Oct. 26) also earned NFHCA Division I National Offensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 27.

Plumb (Canterbury, Kent, England) was a 2020 NFHCA All-West Region second team selection and was named to NCAA All-Tournament Team follow Louisville's first-even Final Four appearance.

Katie Schneider, All-ACC Second Team
Katie Schneider has produced career-best offensive numbers this season, leading the team with nine goals and 21 points while delivering three assists. She tied a school record with three assists in the season-opening win against Ohio and added a goal for a career-high five points in the game.

The San Diego native stands tied for second in the ACC with nine goals and ranks third with 21 points.

About the ACC Field Hockey Championship
Louisville earned a first-round bye as the ACC Field Hockey Championship opens Thursday at Syracuse's J.S. Coyne Field. Quarterfinal action on Thursday finds No. 7 seed Duke (6-10, 0-6) paired against No. 2 Syracuse (11-4, 4-2) at 3:30 p.m., while No. 3 North Carolina (10-6, 4-2) faces No. 6 Wake Forest (7-9, 1-5) at 6 p.m.

ACC Network will show all tournament action live, with Mike Corey handling play-by-play and Leah Secondo providing analysis.

2021 All-ACC Field Hockey Team
Offensive Player of the Year: Erin Matson, North Carolina, F, Sr.
Defensive Player of the Year: Alli Bitting, Louisville, D, Sr.
Freshman of the Year: Mila de Kuijer, Louisville, GK, Fr.
Coach of the Year: Justine Sowry, Louisville

First Team All-ACC
Fusine Govaert, Boston College, B, Gr.
Alli Bitting, Louisville, D, Sr.
Julie Kouijzer, Louisville, D, Jr.
Aimee Plumb, Louisville, F, So.
Mila de Kuijer, Louisville, GK, Fr.
Erin Matson, North Carolina, F, Sr.
Cassie Sumfest, North Carolina, M, Sr.
Quirine Comans, Syracuse, F, Gr.
Pleun Lammers, Syracuse, F, So.
Amber Ezechiels, Virginia, D, Sr.
Meike Lanckohr, Wake Forest, D/M, Jr.

Second Team All-ACC
Sky Caron, Boston College, B, Gr.
Sarah Johnson, Boston College, M/B, Gr.
Jonna Kennedy, Boston College, GK, Sr.
Eva Nunnink, Duke, B, Gr.
Katie Schneider, Louisville, F, Sr.
Meredith Sholder, North Carolina, M, Sr.
Carolin Hoffmann, Syracuse, M, Gr.
Eefke van den Nieuwenhof, Syracuse, B, So.
Charlotte de Vries, Syracuse, F, Jr.
Annie McDonough, Virginia, M/F, Sr.
Nathalie Friedman, Wake Forest, M, Jr.

Let's hear it for @CoachSowry being named ACC Coach of the Year!!! #GoCards pic.twitter.com/yOAcghRxJR
— Louisville Field Hockey (@ULFieldHockey) November 3, 2021

University of Louisville Athletics

Bitting, de Kuijer, Sowry Earn ACC Field Hockey Yearly Honors

Related News

Players Mentioned

Alli Bitting

Mila de Kuijer

Julie Kouijzer

Aimee Plumb

Katie Schneider

Related Videos