University of Miami Athletics
17

Janice Leao

position

Middle Blocker

Height

6-3

Class

Sophomore

Hometown

New Bedford, Mass.

High School

New Bedford

Twitter

@janice_leao

Instagram

@janiceleaoo

TikTok

@janiceleaoo

 

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Janice Leao - Volleyball - University of Miami Athletics

2020 (Sophomore): Opened the season with eight kills and four blocks in the five-set win against Georgia Tech (9/24)…Matched her career high in kills with 12 and registered four more blocks against the Yellow Jackets (9/25)… Tied Miami’s second-best attack percentage in Miami history at .650 with 13 kills and added two aces and four assists in a 3-1 win over Wake Forest (10/2)… Added nine kills, seven blocks and two aces in a 3-1 win over Wake (10/3)… Hit above .600 in both matches against Clemson, totaling 19 kills, four aces and eight blocks in No. 12 Miami’s weekend against Clemson (10/8, 10/9)… Recorded nine kills, two assists and three blocks in No. 11 Miami’s 3-1 loss to FSU (10/15)… Helped Miami sweep FSU with 11 kills, two aces and six blocks (10/16).

2019 (Freshman): Led the Canes with 84 total blocks… Took over the starting MB position and appeared in 89 of Miami’s 102 sets played this season… Hit a career-high .364 against FGCU at the Hurricane Invitational (Sept. 20)… Recorded a season-high 12 kills against Syracuse (Oct. 18)… Boasted a season-high eight blocks at UNC, tying for the fifth-most in Miami history in four sets… Sank three aces against Louisville at home on Nov. 8, adding three kills and on block… Ended the season with 10 kills against Georgia Tech and four blocks (Nov. 29).

High School: Was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing volleyball and basketball for four years… Was named the Standard Times Player of the Year, both junior and senior year and was named to the Super TeamAll Sports for the Standard Times… Finished her high school career with 956 kills and a .474 attack percentage… She also registered 213 blocks and 85 aces.

Personal: Daughter of Jose and Lucia Leao… Has three brothers, Jack, Cyril and Javon and two sisters, Ariana and Eliza.

Career Honors

  • 2021 AVCA All-American Honorable Mention
  • 2021 AVCA East Coast All-Region
  • 2021 All-ACC Second Team
  • 2021 Bobcat Invitational All-Tournament Team
  • 2022 All-ACC Academic Team
  • 2022 All-ACC First Team
  • 2022 AVCA East Coast All-Region
  • ACC Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 20, 2023)
  • 2023 All-ACC Second Team
2023 (Graduate Student)
  • Played in 19 matches, started in 17
  • Appeared in 69 sets due to injury throughout the season (missed 11 games)
  • Tallied 133 kills, 1.93 kills per set and a .391 hitting percentage for fourth most on the team
  • Earned 88.0 blocks (four solo and 84 block assists) and 1.28 blocks per set to lead the team
  • Logged 179.0 points and 2.59 points per set for fourth most on the team
  • Recorded 11 digs and two assists
  • Had six double digit kill matches
  • Tied sixth for most block assists in a match (9 vs. Boston College 11.25)
  • Tied third for most blocks in three sets (8 vs. Arizona 9/9)
  • Tied fourth in most blocks in five sets (9 vs. Boston College 11/25)
  • Tied second for highest attack percentage in a season (.391)
  • Eighth most blocks per set in a season (1.28)
  • In her career, she ranks third for highest attack percentage all-time (.334), sixth for most solo blocks (41), second in block assists (456), third in most total blocks (497), fourth in blocks per set (1.22)
  • Season highs: points (16.5 vs. NC State), kills (13 vs. NC State), blocks (nine vs. Boston College), digs (2 vs. NC State)
2022 (Senior)
  • Saw the court for all 30 matches and played in 109 sets
  • Recorded a career high of 356.5 points for the season and 3.27 points per set; season-high of 20.5 points in a match vs. Clemson (11/11)
  • Ranked 10th in the ACC on hitting percentage with .324
  • 4 assists, 0.04 assists per set, 18 aces and 0.17 aces per set
  • 42 digs and 0.39 digs per set
  • 259 kills and 2.38 kills per set
  • Led the team with 143.0 blocks (sixth most in program history) and 1.31 blocks per set; ranked second in the ACC and 31st in the NCAA in total blocks and blocks per set
  • Jumped to second in Miami record book with 10 blocks in a four and five-set match
  • Notched her name a second time on the top-10 for 127 block assists in a season for seventh
  • Tied for fourth in the ACC in blocks in a match with 10.0 vs. Duke (11/20) and Virginia (10/16); tied for third in program history
  • Moved into top-10 all-time for solo blocks with 37 and third in block assists with 372
  • Reached third in total blocks with 409
  • Earned four aces in a match vs Oregon (9/18)
  • Had a .480 attack percentage vs. Notre Dame (9/25) for third most in a match on the team
2021 (Junior)
  • Was one of two Canes to start all 30 matches and play in all 107 sets
  • Ended the year ranked 11th in the NCAA with 1.36 blocks per set and 15th with 146 total blocks
  • Posted the second most blocks per set in the ACC in the regular season with 1.35 and the fourth highest blocks mark of 139
  • Ranked eighth in the regular season in the ACC with a .335 attacking percentage
  • Moved to third in program history with a .325 career attacking percentage
  • Moved into 10th in school history with 245 block assists in her career and fifth with 1.20 career blocks per set
  • Posted 1.36 blocks per set, the fourth most in a single season at Miami
  • Recorded the fifth highest amount of blocks for a Hurricane in a single-season with 146
  • Tallied 128 block assists for the sixth most in program history
  • Notched the 10th best attacking percentage for a season in UM history at .330
  • Recorded nine blocks against South Florida (9/3) for the third most in a four set match at Miami
  • Her nine blocks against NC State (10/3) is the second highest in a three set contest
  • Her nine blocks against South Florida and NC State are the sixth highest for a match in program history
  • Finished with four solo blocks against South Florida (9/3), the most in a match in the school record book
  • Led Miami in blocks in 18 matches, kills in five contests and points in seven games
  • Had 17 matches with five or more blocks
  • Ended the year with 12 games with double-digit kills
  • Was first on Miami with 146 blocks and 1.36 blocks per set
  • Finished third on the team with 259 kills, posting 2.42 kills per set
  • Recorded a career year in kills (259), digs (53), digs per set (0.50), blocks (146) and blocks per set (1.36)
  • Tallied a career mark of 15 kills against Pitt (10/15)
  • Notched a career best five digs at FIU (8/28)
  • Totaled nine blocks at South Florida and against NC State, a new career high
  • Hit .867 at Texas State (9/10) with 13 kills
2020 (Sophomore)
  • Opened the season with eight kills and four blocks in the five-set win against Georgia Tech (9/24)
  • Matched her career high in kills with 12 and registered four more blocks against the Yellow Jackets (9/25)
  • Tied Miami’s second-best attack percentage in Miami history at .650 with 13 kills and added two aces and four assists in a 3-1 win over Wake Forest (10/2)
  • Added nine kills, seven blocks and two aces in a 3-1 win over Wake (10/3)
  • Hit above .600 in both matches against Clemson, totaling 19 kills, four aces and eight blocks in No. 12 Miami’s weekend against Clemson (10/8, 10/9)
  • Recorded nine kills, two assists and three blocks in No. 11 Miami’s 3-1 loss to FSU (10/15)
  • Helped Miami sweep FSU with 11 kills, two aces and six blocks (10/16)
2019 (Freshman)
  • Led the Canes with 84 total blocks
  • Took over the starting MB position and appeared in 89 of Miami’s 102 sets played this season
  • Hit a career-high .364 against FGCU at the Hurricane Invitational (Sept. 20)
  • Recorded a season-high 12 kills against Syracuse (Oct. 18)
  • Boasted a season-high eight blocks at UNC, tying for the fifth-most in Miami history in four sets
  • Sank three aces against Louisville at home on Nov. 8, adding three kills and on block
  • Ended the season with 10 kills against Georgia Tech and four blocks (Nov. 29)
High School
  • Was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing volleyball and basketball for four years
  • Was named the Standard Times Player of the Year, both junior and senior year and was named to the Super TeamAll Sports for the Standard Times
  • Finished her high school career with 956 kills and a .474 attack percentage
  • Registered 213 blocks and 85 aces
Personal
  • Daughter of Jose and Lucia Leao
  • Has three brothers, Jack, Cyril and Javon and two sisters, Ariana and Eliza