Miami Puts Two on Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team

Aug. 17, 2010

Greensboro, N.C. – University of Miami senior Lici McGee and junior Lane Carico have been selected to the 2010 Preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball Team announced Tues., Aug. 17, by Commissioner John Swofford from the ACC Office in Greensboro, N.C. The preseason volleyball team is voted on by the 12 head coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Coming off a season in which the `Canes finished tied for fifth in the ACC standings, earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament [Gainesville Regional], Miami is predicted to finish fourth in the 2010 preseason poll. The `Canes received 92 points in the voting process to earn the fourth place position, while predicted to finish third in last year’s preseason poll.

Entering her 10th year at the helm of the Hurricanes volleyball program in Coral Gables, head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch returns nine letterwinners, including four starters, from the 2009 season in which UM finished the year 18-13 overall (11-9 ACC).

McGee, a senior middle blocker from Warr Acres, Okla., is making her first appearance to the Preseason All-ACC Team, having a breakthrough season in 2009, ending the year ranked seventh in the league in blocks (117), while finishing second on the UM squad for total points (312) with 371 kills added to her 117 total blocks.

The other member of the Preseason Team for the `Canes is two-time All-ACC selection Lane Carico. The Manhattan Beach, Calif., outside hitter was tabbed to last year’s Preseason All-ACC Team, on her way to earning her second All-AVCA East Region award, and being a 2009 AVCA All-America honorable mention selection. In 2009, Carico led the ACC in kills (506), while leading UM in kills per set average (4.36). She currently holds records for kills in a single-season by both a freshman – finishing with 369 in 2008, and a sophomore with her total from the 2009 campaign.

Florida State, the defending ACC regular season champion, and Duke, the 2009 runner-up, were predicted by the league’s head coaches to win the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference volleyball championship.

Florida State and Duke each totaled 108 points out of a possible 121, while the Seminoles collected five first-place votes to the Blue Devils’ four. First place votes were awarded 11 points, second place received 10 points, etc.

The top four teams were separated by just 16 points. Receiving the final three first-place votes was Georgia Tech, which was predicted to finish third with 103 points. Miami (92) and North Carolina (75) rounded out the top five.

Clemson came in sixth with 71 points, followed closely by Virginia in seventh with 70 points. Virginia Tech (55), Maryland (40), Wake Forest (38), NC State (20) and Boston College (12) completed the 2010 predicted order of finish.

The University of Miami is set to hold the Sixth Annual Alumni Match on Sat., Aug. 21, at the James L. Knight Sports Complex in Coral Gables. Admission to the event is free.

The 2010 season for the `Canes officially gets underway Aug. 27-28, when Miami travels to the Sooner Legends/Nike Invitational hosted by the University of Oklahoma. UM will open with UT-Arlington on Fri., Aug. 27, followed by a two-match schedule with Wichita State and Oklahoma the following day.

For more information on the Preseason All-ACC Volleyball team and all other news surrounding the Atlantic Coast Conference, please visit www.theacc.com.

2010 Preseason All-ACC Team
Sandra Adeleye, Soph., MB – Clemson
Alexa Rand, Soph., MB – Clemson
Becci Burling, Sr., MB – Duke
Kellie Catanach, Jr., S – Duke
Claire Smalzer, Sr., LIB – Duke
Rachael Morgan, Jr., OH – Florida State
Stephanie Neville, Sr., OH, Florida State
Fatma Yildirim, Soph., OH – Florida State
Bailey Hunter, Jr., OH – Georgia Tech
Jordan McCullers, Sr., DS – Georgia Tech
Monique Mead, Soph., RS – Georgia Tech
Mary Ashley Tippins, Sr., S – Georgia Tech
Lane Carico, Jr., OH – Miami
Lici McGee, Sr., MB – Miami
Courtney Johnston, Sr., OH/RS, North Carolina
Simone Asque, Jr., OH – Virginia
Felicia Willoughby, Sr., MB – Virginia Tech
Kadija Fornah, Jr., OH – Wake Forest