Savanah Leaf Named AVCA All-American
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Savanah Leaf’s senior season was filled with accolades, but her greatest honor came Wednesday.
Leaf was named to the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association All-America Team, becoming the third Hurricane in program history to earn a spot on an AVCA All-America Team. Lane Carico was Miami’s first AVCA All-American, earning third team honors in 2010 and second team honors in 2011. Emani Sims, who was named AVCA All-America honorable mention in 2014, was a third team selection in 2012.
“It’s great news,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. ‘We are excited, but we are not surprised because we know they are great players and we believed in them and their ability.”
Leaf was selected to the AVCA East Coast All-Region team a week ago after an outstanding season that resulted in being named ACC Player of the Year and to the All-ACC First Team. The San Anselmo, Calif., native finished the season with 4.65 kills/set, ranking 12th in the country and atop the ACC. A talented outside hitter, she led the team in kills (502), kills/set (4.65) and points (5.33), while ranking second in attack percentage (.312), service aces (27) and digs (266), and third in blocks (83). She also led the Canes with 13 double-doubles during the 2014 season.
“I am so excited,” Leaf said when she learned of her selection. “I can’t even begin to explain how much this means to me. From my family to my coaches and teammates and my strength coach and everyone in the athletic department and at the University of Miami, I am so grateful for everyone that helped me accomplish this.”
A Preseason All-ACC pick, Leaf was a three-time ACC Player of the Week during the 2014 season. She also joined an elite club at the University of Miami, surpassing 1,000 kills for her career. Leaf, who ranks fifth in program history with 1,194 kills, also set the program record for kills in a match and kills in an NCAA Tournament match when she recorded 31 kills in a five-set victory over UCF in the first round of this year’s tournament.
“There is no question Savanah is one of the top players in the country and very deserving of this award,” Gandara said. “She was a big part of our success this season and we are extremely happy for her.”
Despite playing just three years at Miami, Leaf’s name is all over the Hurricane volleyball record book. Her 4.65 kills/set this season ranks second-best in a single season in program history. Leaf’s 575.5 points in 2014 rank second in UM history, while her 5.33 points/set are third-best in a single season. Leaf finished her career ranking fifth in program history with 1,194 kills and ranks ninth in program history with 87 service aces.
“We knew all along that she had the ability to be an All-American, but this year she learned how to manage her game better,” Gandara said. “She expanded her abilities, became more efficient and effective. She worked hard with Sanja [Tomasevic] on becoming more consistent on serve receive and developing range as an attacker. She worked hard with Lee [Nelson] on becoming a more disciplined blocker and more accurate server. It is great for Savanah and Miami volleyball. She is only the third All-American in UM volleyball history and that is something to be proud off. I know there will be others, but her name will always be there.”
A week ago, Leaf was named to the 2014 Capitol One Academic All-America Second team. A stellar student that was named First Team Academic All-District earlier this year, Leaf has earned a 3.89 cumulative GPA while pursuing a double major in psychology and human development. She earned distinction on the President’s Honor Roll in Spring 2013 for her perfect 4.0 semester GPA, as well as the Provost’s Honor Roll (3.75 GPA), Dean’s List Honor Roll (3.5 GPA), Athletic Director Honor Roll (3.2 GPA) and UM’s Book Buster Club (3.0 GPA) in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013 and Spring 2014. Leaf is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Furthermore, she was named to the 2013 All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team and is a two-time ACC Honor Roll student-athlete.
Also joining Leaf with AVCA recognition was senior middle blocker Emani Sims, who received AVCA All-America honorable mention.
“We are so proud of Savanah and Emani,” Gandara said. “They both made great contributions for our program. It will be hard to replace them, but we are excited for their future and the future of our program.”
The awards will be presented Dec. 19, 2014, in Oklahoma City, Okla. at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet. The event is held in conjunction with the 2014 AVCA Convention.
Each of the three AVCA All-America Teams is comprised of 14 athletes. The Division I AVCA National Player of the Year will be announced on Dec. 19 at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet.
The Hurricanes (22-9, 14-4 ACC) reached the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 8 Florida in a hard-fought four-set battle. Miami reached the second round for the third time in program history. The Canes, who are 4-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, earned their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2011 when they beat UCF in five sets on Dec. 5. The win was also the first NCAA Tournament victory in head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara’s head coaching career.
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