Wake Forest Athletics
Volleyball Hands Out 2009-10 Team Awards
5/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
May 3, 2010
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Wake Forest volleyball team handed out its yearly team awards last week at its season-ending banquet.
Head coach Heather Kahl Holmes presented awards for Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Best Offensive Player, Best Defensive Player and the Deacon Award.
The team's Most Valuable Player award went to junior Kristen White. White had a solid all-around season as she finished with 248 kills for an average of 2.32 kills per set and also had a total of 282 digs, which was third-most on the team. She was also second on the team with 16 service aces and blocked a total of 39 attacks.
White had a career-best 16 digs and nine kills at North Carolina and tied a career-high with five total blocks in a win over Virginia on Oct. 3. She finished the year with seven double-doubles, which was second-most on the squad.
Senior defensive specialist Abby Miller had a another tremendous season in the back row and earned the team's Best Defensive Player Award for the second-straight year. She played in every match and saw action in all but three sets this season. Miller finished with a team-best 366 digs for an average of 3.18 digs per set. She also had a solid .955 reception percentage and committed just two reception errors in the last 11 matches. Miller finished the year with a career-best 15 service aces.
Against Maryland on Oct. 30, the Lexington, NC, native became just the seventh Demon Deacon to record 1,000 career digs and she finished her career fifth in school history with a total of 1,088. She posted double-digit digs in 22 of the 31 matches with a season-best 21 in a three-set sweep of Appalachian State.
Miller also took home the Deacon Award which is presented to the athlete that showed perseverance through any situation on and off the court.
Sophomore outside hitter Kadija Fornah was named the team's best offensive player. She had another solid season, leading the team with 306 kills and 2.78 kills per set. Fornah also posted a total of 116 digs and 46 total blocks.
On the year, Fornah recorded double-digit kills in 17 matches and had a career-high 22 kills in a four-set match against Miami (Nov. 6). She also recorded her first career double-double against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 12 with 11 kills and 10 digs.
Fornah also worked hard in the weight room and was award with the Dedication Award. The Dedication Award is chosen by strength and conditioning coach Todd Hedrick for the athlete who shows the most discipline and hard work in the areas of strength and conditioning and shows a positive attitude and focus while in the weight room and their improvement is a reflection of their determination.
Freshman Andrea Beck was named the team's Rookie of the Year for her strong performance in her first year. She made an immediate impact, starting all but two matches and playing in 115 of the 118 sets. She topped the squad with a .254 hitting percentage and was third on the team with 257 kills. Beck was also second on the team with a total 96 blocks.
The Winston-Salem, NC, native recorded 10 or more kills 11 times in 2009 and tallied a season-best seven total blocks three different times. She opened the year strong with 10 kills and a .500 hitting percentage in her first collegiate match against Charlotte. But her best performance may have come in the four-set win over Maryland on Oct. 30, when she notched 15 kills and hit a solid .478 with four blocks.
Beck also performed well in the classroom, becoming just the second Demon Deacon freshman to earn Academic All-ACC honors.
