Nov. 18, 2010
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Freshman Andrea McHugh was named BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Year, as announced by the league Thursday evening at the Pittsburgh Westin during its annual volleyball banquet. McHugh was also an all-BIG EAST first-team selection as senior middle blocker Kellie Sciacca collected second-team accolades.
McHugh, who was five times named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week this season to set a Notre Dame record, is the second Irish player ever to earn the league’s award for the top freshman. Lauren Kelbley was tabbed the BIG EAST’s top freshman in 2002.
Sciacca was a second-team choice in 2008 and 2009.
McHugh ranked second among league players in kills/set (4.08), behind only Cincinnati’s Stephanie Niemer (5.17), who was named Player of the Year. The outside hitter was also second with 4.67 points/set and seventh with 0.40 aces/set.
The rookie had at least 10 kills in 11 league matches, capped off by a 23-kill output against DePaul (Oct. 15). She hit .294 with four double-doubles and 19 aces.
Sciacca led the league in hitting percentage as a junior and was 10th this season with a .314 clip. She averaged 2.67 kills/set and 0.94 blocks/set in league play, highlighted by eight rejections at Rutgers (Nov. 13). She had 10+ kills in seven of 14 conference contests.
The fifth-seeded Irish will be in action at 10:00 a.m. on Friday (Nov. 19) versus fourth-seeded Villanova at Pittsburgh’s Fitzgerald Fieldhouse to open the BIG EAST Championship.
–ND–