Bitting Named ACC Field Hockey Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Louisville senior midfielder Alli Bitting and North Carolina senior forward Erin Matson have been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Scholar-Athletes of the Year and lead the sport's All-ACC Academic Team announced Monday. Including Bitting, the Cardinals placed seven on the ACC Field Hockey All-Academic Team.

Bitting earned 2021 ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Matson became the second four-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year in league history.

Each of the ACC's seven field hockey programs is represented by multiple selections to the 2021 All-ACC Field Hockey Academic Team. That includes a league-record 21 student-athletes that also earned All-ACC honors. In addition, 12 members of this year's All-ACC Field Hockey Academic Team were also NFHCA All-Americans, and 24 were named NFHCA All-Region.

Bitting takes home her fourth straight ACC All-Academic Team honor. She is joined by Erica Cooper, Mila de Kuijer, Julie Kouijzer, Aimee Plumb, Katie Schneider and Mattie Tabor.

A three-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American, Bitting earned her degree in sport administration in December. The Hummelstown, Pennsylvania native was a first-team NFHCA All-American this past season after being named to the second team in 2019 and 2020. Bitting proved a mainstay for a Louisville team that allowed just 18 goals in 20 games (an ACC-leading .900 goals allowed per contest) while posting seven shutouts. She also registered three goals and dished out three assists.

Academically, Bitting was named to the Dean's List and AD Honor Roll every semester she attended Louisville and is a four-time ACC Honor Roll selection.

This marks the third All-ACC Academic Team nod for Cooper, a senior midfielder from Louisville, Ky. The criminal justice major played in all 20 games with 16 starts and was tied for third on the team with six goals. She was an NFHCA All-West Region team selection in 2019.

DeKuijer, a freshman goalkeeper from Leiden, The Netherlands was the 2021 ACC Freshman of the Year and All-ACC First Team Selection after an impressive rookie season in which she posted a 16-3 record with a 0.85 goals-against average and .804 save percentage. The finance major led the ACC in shutouts, goals against average and save percentage.

Kouijzer (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) collects her second straight ACC academic team honor. The junior marketing major, was a 2021 NFHCA All-America third team selection after tallying five goals and a team-best eight assists while standing tied for second on the team with 18 points. She is a two-time NFHCA All-West Region selection (2020, 2021) and was twice named to the ACC All-Tournament Team (2019, 2020). This season, she earned All-ACC first team honors and was a three-time ACC Defensive Player of the Week while helping direct Louisville's defense to seven shutouts and a 0.85 team goals against average.

Plumb, a sophomore forward majoring in psychology, also picks up her second ACC Academic team award. The 2021 NFHCA All-American third team honoree tallied a career-high seven goals. The two-time NFHCA All-West Region honoree (2020, 2021) was also named to the 2021 All-ACC first team. She was tabbed ACC Offensive Player of the Week twice in 2021 also earned NFHCA Division I National Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Senior Katie Schneider (San Diego, Calif.) was an All-ACC Second Team selection after leading the Cardinals with a career-high nine goals and 21 points. In the August 27 win against Ohio, she dished out a career-high three assists, tying a school record. The communications major has been named to the ACC Academic honor roll in each of her seasons

Mattie Tabor a junior forward from Louisville, Ky., played in all 20 games with 12 starts and stood tied for third on the team with six goals and was fourth the team with 14 points. Five of her goals were game-winners, standing second in the ACC in that category. The communications major has been named to the ACC Academic honor roll twice.

About the ACC Field Hockey Academic Awards
The ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were established in September of 2007 to be awarded annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in their respective sports. Candidates for the awards must have maintained a 3.0-grade point average for their careers, as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters.

Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0-grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one's academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.

The ACC Honor Roll, which recognizes all conference student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.0 for the current academic year, will be released in July.

About Louisville Field Hockey
The sixth-ranked Cardinals finished the 2021 season with a 16-4 overall record, matching a school record for wins. Additionally, UofL won the 2021 ACC regular season title after compiling a program-best 6-0 record in league play and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

2021 ACC Field Hockey Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Alli Bitting, Louisville
Erin Matson, North Carolina

2021 All-ACC Field Hockey Academic Team
Alli Bitting, Louisville, Sr., Sport Administration
Erica Cooper, Louisville, Sr., Criminal Justice
Mila DeKuijer, Louisville, Fr., Finance
Julie Kouijzer, Louisville, Jr., Marketing
Aimee Plumb, Louisville, So., Psychology
Kathryn Schneider, Louisville, Sr., Communications
Mattie Tabor, Louisville, Jr., Communications

University of Louisville Athletics

Bitting Named ACC Field Hockey Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year

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Players Mentioned

Alli Bitting

Erica Cooper

Mila de Kuijer

Julie Kouijzer

Aimee Plumb

Katie Schneider

Mattie Tabor

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