Three Hurricanes Pick Up ACC Honors
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Grace Lopez, Bianka Lulic and Ariana Rodriguez claimed ACC Player of the Week honors, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Monday afternoon.
The recognitions come after an undefeated weekend over No. 25 Arkansas, Texas Tech and FIU for the final week of non-conference action.
Lopez, a sophomore, earned the ACC Offensive Player of the Week award after earning 49 kills (4.90 kills per set) and a team-best .489 hitting average in three non-conference victories at the 305 Challenge. From Aguada, Puerto Rico, Lopez tallied 18 kills on a season-high .615 clip against No. 25 Arkansas and followed it with a three-set match high with 19 kills against Texas Tech.
From San Diego, Calif., redshirt freshman Bianka Lulic secured ACC Defensive Player of the Week following 17 blocks (1.70 blocks per set), 11 kills and a season-high nine blocks against FIU, capped off by the game winner to seal a 3-1 win over FIU.
Rodriguez, a redshirt freshman, earned ACC Setter of the Week after totaling a conference-best 118 assists throughout the final three matches of non-conference action. She also claimed six kills and four aces.
The weekly honors mark Miami’s first three of the season, Lopez’s fourth career ACC accolade and Lulic and Rodriguez’s first career honors.
Miami will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to face No. 18 Florida State on Sept. 25, for their first match of the ACC season, before returning home to take on the in-state foe in Coral Gables, Fla., on Sept. 28.
