Hurricanes Volleyball Sweeps ACC Weekly Awards
Sept. 6, 2010
Greensboro, N.C. – University of Miami redshirt junior Katie Gallagher was named to the Blue Raider Bash All-Tournament Team on her way to being named this week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball Player of the Week, while freshman Alexandria Johnson was tabbed as the league’s Freshman of the Week.
Miami (7-1) went 5-0 last week, beginning the slate with a victory at home against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 31. This past weekend in Murfreesboro, Tenn., the `Canes went 4-0 at the Blue Raider Bash hosted by Middle Tennessee State University. Along the way, UM picked up wins over Auburn, Southern Miss, Georgia Southern and 2009 NCAA Tournament participant Middle Tennessee State.
Gallagher, a native Winter Park, Fla., started all 18 sets for the Hurricanes last week, averaging 12 assists and 2.28 digs per set from her setter position. She also tallied 15 kills while committing just one error in 32 attempts. Gallagher led the Hurricanes with 216 assists and ranked second on the team with a .438 attack percentage. Her 41 digs placed her fourth on the team in that category, with the Lake Highland Prep alum adding nine blocks (eight assisted).
Against host Middle Tennessee State, Gallagher hit at a .600 clip (3k-0e-5ta) with 47 assists and nine digs. She also added three blocks, including one by solo performance. The Hurricanes topped the Blue Raiders, 3-1, to finish undefeated in the tournament – alongside fellow ACC school Duke. The two ACC representatives were the only unbeaten teams in the tournament, with the Blue Devils finishing at 3-0.
Johnson, a freshman from Tallahassee, Fla., has started in all eight matches for the Hurricanes thus far on the campaign. Last week, she hit at a .356 clip, averaging 2.56 kills and 2.50 digs per set. She played in all of the Hurricanes’ 18 sets, tallying 10 blocks and six service aces. She had double-digit kills in three matches, and scooped up double-digit digs in two matches.
In the 3-0 sweep of FAU, Johnson – an outside hitter from Tallahassee’s Leon High School – posted a season-high .625 hitting percentage, tallying 10 kills, seven digs and one block (assisted). She did not register an attack error.
Gallagher and Johnson both recorded double-doubles in the 3-1 win over Georgia Southern. Behind seven kills and no attack errors, Gallagher hit .583 with 49 assists and 11 digs. Johnson added 14 kills and 11 digs, posting a .387 attack percentage.
Miami returns home Sept. 9-10 to host the Hurricane Invitational, welcoming FIU, Bethune-Cookman and San Francisco. UM will open its tournament play against the USF Dons, meeting for the first time since 2008 when the `Canes won the Asics/Coca-Cola Invitational in San Francisco.
The tournament begins with FIU facing Bethune-Cookman at the James L. Knight Sports Complex on the UM campus Fri., Sept. 10, at 3 p.m. UM’s match against San Francisco will begin at 6 p.m.
For more information on ACC volleyball, please locate your internet browser to www.theacc.com.
