Strantzali and Haak Win ACC Weekly Awards
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team saw two players earn ACC weekly awards following the final week of the 2015 regular season.
Olga Strantzali earned her second ACC Player of the Week award of the season, while Anna Haak garnered the first ACC Freshman of the Week honor of her career.
Strantzali led Miami to wins over Clemson and Georgia Tech in the final weekend of play, posting 25 kills while hitting .525. The sophomore, who was named Second Team All-ACC, had 11 kills with a .429 hitting percentage in a sweep at Clemson and posted 16 kills and a superb .623 attack percentage in a win at Georgia Tech. Strantzali also recorded 12 digs and two service aces while helping the Hurricanes secure their second-straight 20-win season.
Haak provided a huge lift off the bench for the Hurricanes this past weekend, helping Miami win conference road matches at Clemson and Georgia Tech to close out the regular season. The freshman outside hitter combined for 25 kills and an outstanding .373 hitting percentage, elevating the Canes in a big way in their final two matches of ACC play. Haak recorded nine kills and nine digs against Clemson, before hitting .414 against Georgia Tech with 16 kills. She averaged 3.57 kills per set and 1.86 digs per set in the two matches.
Miami wraps up the 2015 regular season with four ACC Performer of the Week awards. Strantzali earned Player of the Week honors on Nov. 9 and again on Nov. 30. Senior outside hitter Taylor Scott was the first Hurricane with win a weekly award in 2015 when she was selected as ACC Player of the Week on Sept. 14. Haak was the lone Hurricane to be picked as ACC Freshman of the Week this season.
The Hurricanes (21-9, 14-6 ACC) will continue their season at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, when they will face Iowa State (18-10, 11-5 Big XII) in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Miami, Iowa State, Oregon and No. 6 Wisconsin make up the four teams set to compete in the Madison portion of the Austin Regional this weekend in Wisconsin.
Miami was selected to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive season and the eighth time in program history. Fresh off their second straight 20-win season, the Canes are headed to the postseason for the third straight year under head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara.
A year ago, the Canes 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 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 Gandara’s head coaching career.
Miami’s best postseason run came in 2002 and began in Madison, Wisconsin. The Canes swept Duke in the first round and defeated No. 15 Wisconsin in four sets to advance to the Regional Semifinal, where they fell to No. 3 Nebraska.
For all the latest information on Miami Hurricanes volleyball, follow the official Twitter feed, @CanesVB, or “Like Us” on Facebook at facebook.com/UMVolleyball. The program is also on Instagram.
