Leao, Vach Tabbed Preseason All-ACC; Miami Picked Fourth
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Two members of the University of Miami volleyball team earned Preseason All-ACC status and the Hurricanes placed fourth in the preseason poll, as announced Tuesday evening on ACC Network.
Janice Leao and Savannah Vach both garnered Preseason All-ACC plaudits, making Miami one of five teams with multiple honorees. Leao is a reigning Second Team All-ACC honoree, while Vach earned First Team All-ACC recognition last year.
Coming off a season in which tied for second in the ACC with a 15-3 league record, Miami received 150 points in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll. That figure put the Hurricanes behind only a pair of 2021 NCAA semifinalists (Louisville and Pittsburgh) and another quarterfinalist (Georgia Tech).
Miami went 25-5 in 2021, advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Hurricanes finished No. 25 in the AVCA Coaches Poll after posting an 11-2 record over their final 13 matches.
A 6-foot-3 senior middle blocker, Leao finished No. 11 nationally with 1.36 blocks per set in 2021, a figure that also ranks fourth on Miami’s single-season list. The New Bedford, Mass., native paced Miami in blocks 18 times, logging five-plus on 17 occasions, as well as paced the team in kills five times, reaching double figures in 12 outings. Leao also hit .335 during the regular season, good for the eighth-best mark in the ACC.
A 5-foot-10 senior setter, Vach tallied 10.98 assists per set last year to rank No. 19 in the country, helping her earn AVCA East Coast All-Region Team. Vach, who was also a Second Team All-ACC pick in 2020-21, ranks second all-time at Miami in total assists (2,879) and assists per set (10.58). A Winter Springs, Fla., native on the Preseason All-ACC list for the second year in a row, Vach was one of just 24 Division I players with a triple-double in 2021, logging the first such stat line in Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara’s tenure.
The complete list of Preseason All-ACC honorees, as well as the full ACC Preseason Coaches Poll, can be found below.
2022 ACC Volleyball Preseason All-ACC Team
Emma Clothier, Florida State, Sr., MB
Julia Bergman, Georgia Tech, Sr., OH
Biana Bertolino, Georgia Tech, So., OH
Erin Moss, Georgia Tech, Sr., MB
Claire Chaussee, Louisville, Gr., OH
Anna DeBeer, Louisville, Jr., OH
Aiko Jones, Louisville, Sr., OPP
Elena Scott, Louisville, So., L/DS
Amaya Tillman, Louisville, Sr., MB
Janice Leao, Miami, Sr., MB
Savannah Vach, Miami, Sr., S
Kaya Merkler, North Carolina, Jr., MH
Charley Niego, North Carolina, Gr., OH
Mabrey Shaffmaster, North Carolina, So., OH
Courtney Buzzerio, Pittsburgh, Gr., RS
Rachel Fairbanks, Pittsburgh, So., S
Serena Gray, Pittsburgh, Gr., MB
Polina Shemanova, Syracuse, Gr., OH
2022 ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Louisville, 191 points (10 first place votes)
2. Pittsburgh, 185 points (5 first place votes)
3. Georgia Tech, 173 points
4. Miami, 150 points
5. Florida State, 145 points
6. North Carolina, 134 points
7. NC State, 116 points
8. Duke, 105 points
9. Notre Dame, 87 points
10. Clemson, 72 points
11. Wake Forest, 63 points
12. Virginia Tech, 48 points
13. Boston College, 39 points
14. Virginia, 36 points
15. Syracuse, 31 points
To keep up with the University of Miami volleyball team on social media, follow @CanesVB on Twitter and Facebook, as well as @Canes_VB on Instagram.
