Olga Strantzali Named First Team All-ACC
CORAL GABLES. Fla. – University of Miami outside hitter Olga Strantzali was named to the 2016 All-ACC Volleyball First Team, as announced by the conference office Monday.
The junior was one of 14 players named to the 2016 all-conference first team as determined by a vote by the 15 ACC volleyball head coaches. The selection marks the second All-ACC honor of her career.
“This makes me really happy and excited for next year,” Strantzali said. “I worked really hard this past year and my work paid off, but I wouldn’t have achieved anything without my teammates and coaches.”
Strantzali entered the season as a Preseason All-ACC selection and she lived up to her billing. The Pylaia, Thessaloniki, Greece, native was arguably the top player in the ACC in 2016, leading the conference in kills per set, service aces per set and points per set.
The star outside hitter’s numbers also proved she was one of the best players in the entire country, ranking seventh in Division I with 4.76 kills per set and ninth with 5.37 points per set. Her 0.39 service aces per set sit 50th among Division I players.
Among players from Power 5 conferences, Strantzali ranks third in kills per set and points per set and sixth in aces per set. She is the only player from the ACC to rank in the top 30 in Division I in kills per set and points per set and the only ACC player in the top 50 in service aces per set.
“You couldn’t understate how consistently excellent Olga was this season,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. “Through a myriad of hurdles, she was good day after day. We’re so proud to be a part of her success and to have her be a huge part of ours. We’re thrilled to have another season with her and are pretty confident that, considering her work ethic and character, she’ll be even better this time next year.”
A standout player during her two seasons at Miami, Strantzali finished the season with 586 kills which ranks sixth in all of Division I. Her 586 kills are second-most in a single season in Hurricanes history and are 79 more than the second-highest total among ACC players.
Strantzali recorded 15 or more kills in 25 of Miami’s 32 matches in 2016 and eclipsed the 1,000-kill mark for her collegiate career, sitting at 1,145 kills over three seasons. She also set a new career-high with 30 kills in a five-set win at Louisville that is tied for second-most in a single match in program history.
Known for her powerful serve, Strantzali wrapped the 2016 season with an ACC-best 48 service aces, ranking 17th among NCAA Division I players and is tied for third among players from Power 5 conferences. She recorded a season-high five service aces in three matches during the 2016 campaign.
Strantzali received two all-tournament honors for her outstanding performances during non-conference play. She was selected to the 2016 Wildcat Classic All-Tournament Team and the 2016 Delaware Invitational All-Tournament Team.
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