Farrell and Crawford Receive All-ACC Recognition
11/28/2022 3:51:00β―PM | Women's Volleyball
The Demon Deacon freshmen duo picked up accolades for their stellar debut seasons.
GREENSBORO, N.C. β Less than 20 hours after earning its way into postseason play, Wake Forest volleyball received additional exciting news on Monday afternoon (Nov. 28), as two of its underclassmen earned all-conference honors from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), announced by the league office.
Freshman libero Emma Farrell was named the 2022 ACC Freshman of the Year. She is the first Demon Deacon to notch such recognition since Christy Williams in 2002, along with being only the second, all-time Wake Forest player.
Β
Making the game look effortless π€§
β Wake Volleyball (@WakeVolleyball) November 28, 2022
This one was well-deserved:
π πππ π πππππππ ππ πππ ππππ π
Congrats, Emma π#GoDeacs π©π pic.twitter.com/bFxiK7c9WG
Farrell and outside hitter Paige Crawford also were tabbed on the conference's 2022 All-Freshman Team, becoming the first Wake Forest pair to secure All-Freshman selections since Caroline Rassenfoss and Caitlyn Della in 2016.
Β
These freshies quickly made a name for themselves:
β Wake Volleyball (@WakeVolleyball) November 28, 2022
π πππ πππ-π πππππππ ππππ π
Gets two claps from us ππ#GoDeacs π©π pic.twitter.com/HKaySwJiyh
"I am thrilled that Emma and Paige were recognized for what they accomplished," said head coach Randi Smart. "They have been impressive all year, and we have grown as a program and they helped shape that growth. Emma is just an impressive player, period. She sees the court and moves so easily. She is quick, and makes the game look effortless. She truly earned this recognition.
"Paige discovered many parts of her game that I think she even surprised herself a bit. She's fearless, competitive and is only going to get better at the collegiate level. She carried a major load for us this fall, and she is eager to take on more.
"There are many positives with this entire group. I love what they have done and can't wait to see what they tackle next."
Β
Emma Farrell | Fr. | 5-6 | Libero | Norcross, Ga.
A two-time ACC Freshman of the Week pick this year, Farrell made a name for herself in the early stages of the 2022 campaign, becoming the conference's digs-per-set leader in week two and maintaining that mark for 11 weeks and through the conclusion of regular-season play. Her 4.41 average paced all individuals and she was the only true freshman to place in the ACC's top-10 list within the statistical category. Farrell was one of three Deacs to start and compete in all 29 of the team's matches. Back on Sept. 16, she finished with 22 digs in a sweep over Davidson, which is tied for the third-best total by a Wake Forest individual in a three-set match. The Norcross, Georgia native recorded 20 or more digs on nine separate occasions:
Β
Emma Farrell Performances of 20 or More Digs:
-
Versus Western Carolina (8/27/22) β 27 digs
-
Versus Arizona (9/2/22) β 28 digs
-
Versus South Carolina (9/3/22) β 21 digs
-
Versus Sam Houston (9/10/22) β 20 digs
-
Versus Davidson (9/16/22) β 22 digs
-
At Charlotte (9/17/22) β 21 digs
-
At Louisville (10/16/22) β 20 digs
-
Versus Virginia Tech (11/13/22) β 22 digs
-
At Duke (11/16/22) β 21 digs
Paige Crawford | Fr. | 6-0 | Outside Hitter | Wimberley, Texas
Crawford picked up two ACC Freshman of the Week nods of her own during the regular season, doing so in back-to-back weekly fashion on Oct. 10 and Oct. 17. The controlled outside hitter added reliable firepower to the team's attacking tempo, en route to ending as the team leader in total kills (302) for the fall regular season. In a road match against Big Four foe Duke University earlier this month (Nov. 16), the Wimberley, Texas native notched a new career high of 21 kills. Playing at No. 2 Louisville last month (Oct. 16), she led the way with an efficient 16 kills (.324 attacking percentage). In addition to her reliable hitting, Crawford also pieced several impressive two-way performances with her defensive skills, racking up five double-doubles. This season has seen a total of 14 matches in which she has paced the team in kills:
Β
Paige Crawford Performances as Team Leader in Kills:
-
Versus NC Central (8/26/22): 13 kills
-
Versus Western Carolina (8/27/22): 18 kills
-
Versus Texas State (9/11/22): 9 kills
-
Versus Georgia Tech (9/23/22): 7 kills
-
Versus Syracuse (9/30/22): 19 kills
-
Versus Boston College (10/2/22): 13 kills
-
Versus NC State (10/9/22): 18 kills
-
At Notre Dame (10/14/22): 13 kills
-
At Louisville (10/16/22): 16 kills
-
At Miami (10/21/22): 12 kills
-
At Florida State (10/23/22): 9 kills
-
Versus Duke (11/6/22): 12 kills
-
Versus Virginia Tech (11/13/22): 14 kills
-
At Duke (11/16/22): 21 kills
Later this week, Wake Forest will participate in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) postseason tournament, hosting the first two rounds of play in Reynolds Gymnasium.
The Demon Deacons will face the Coppin State Eagles in round one of tournament play on Friday (Dec. 2) at 6 p.m. ET. Additionally, the team will host a neutral match between Davidson and North Dakota State earlier during that same Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET. The winners of each first-round match will face each other on Saturday (Dec. 3) at 4 p.m. ET.
Wake Forest finished the fall regular season with a 16-13 overall record, going 8-10 against ACC competition.
