Lukianova and Vach Earn VB All-ACC Honors
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – For the third straight season, the University of Miami volleyball team earned two All-ACC honors, as announced Monday by the conference.
“I am so happy for Liza and Savannah,” head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. “They are great kids and really important pieces in our game plans. It really is an honor to coach the two of them.”
Outside hitter Elizaveta Lukianova earned her second straight Second Team All-ACC honor after registering 302 kills in her redshirt junior season, just two shy of tying her career high of 304 set in 2018. Lukianova hit a team high .273 and finished with a season-high 71 total blocks.
The Russia native led the Canes in kills in 11 matches and in blocks six times. She also tied her career high in both categories, hitting 24 kills for the second time against Boston College and shutting down six blocks for the fourth time in her career against Louisville.
“With her role growing each season, Liza has continued to improve as a player and mature as a leader. It’s nice to see that she was recognized among so many great players this season,” Gandara said.
Lukianova was also the lone Cane to be tabbed to the 2019 All-ACC Preseason Team.
Freshman Savannah Vach was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team after a dominant season as Miami’s setter, tallying 1,028 assists. Vach now holds the sixth-most career assists in UM history after playing just 98 sets.
With 10.49 assists per set, Vach also boasts the fourth-best average in program history and third-best in the conference this year, behind Georgia Tech’s Matti McKissock, ACC Setter of the Year, and Zoe Nunez of Notre Dame. Her 10.49 assists per set also ranks in the top 50 in the NCAA.
“Working with Savannah has been such a joy. She is such a good learner and mature player for her age,” Gandara said. “She has continued to develop into an elite setter and is overall, such a great volleyball player. She is a great teammate and certainly one of our leaders. It’s really exciting to think of the future for Savannah.”
The Oviedo, Fla., native finished the 2019 season with 24 kills, 23 aces, 174 digs and a team-leading seven double-doubles.
In his seven seasons at the helm, Gandara has produced eight First Team selections, eight Second Team honorees, two ACC Players of the Year, one Freshman of the Year and now two ACC All Freshman Team honorees.
