NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Junior outside hitter Charley Niego and junior setter Zoe Nunez were both named to the 2020 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team, the conference announced Wednesday (Sept. 9) morning.
In addition, the Irish were slotted fourth of 15 teams in the ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll.
ABOUT NIEGO
Niego started all 29 matches and paced the Irish with a career-high 410 kills in 115 sets in 2019 while earning First Team All-ACC and AVCA All-East Coast Region honorable mention accolades. Niego also recorded career-highs with 326 digs, 53 total blocks and a team-best 33 service aces as a sophomore.
The Chicago, Illinois, native earned a double-double in 14 matches in 2019, which tied for the 10th most in a single season in program history. In the 2019 regular-season finale against Duke, Niego recorded 20 kills and 20 digs for the first Irish 20-20 outing since Kristen Dealy did so in five sets against Delaware on Sept. 17, 2010. Niego also earned AVCA All-East Coast Region honorable mention honors as a freshman in 2018. She’s totaled 749 kills in her first two seasons for the Irish.
ABOUT NUNEZ
Nunez earned First Team All-ACC accolades after racking up a career-high 1,219 assists in 115 sets for a mark of 10.60 assists per set a season ago. The Rockford, Illinois, native and 2019 AVCA All-East Coast Region honoree hit the 50-assist mark in eight matches in 2019, including a trio of 54-assist efforts against Louisville, Boston College and Miami.
A team captain in 2019, Nunez also totaled 59 blocks, 51 kills and 24 service aces in her sophomore campaign. Last March, Nunez was named to the U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Team – Gold roster after her participation in the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts. She’s earned 2,332 assists in her first two seasons in an Irish uniform.
2020 ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1.Pitt (192 points, 11 first-place votes)
2. Louisville (175 points, two first-place votes)
3. Georgia Tech (172 points, two first-place votes)
4. Notre Dame (158 points)
5. Florida State (145 points)
6. Syracuse (126 points)
7. North Carolina (121 points)
T8. Boston College (89 points)
T8. Miami (89 points)
10. Duke (82 points)
11. NC State (70 points)
12. Clemson (68 points)
13. Virginia (42 points)
14. Wake Forest (28 points)
15. Virginia Tech (18 points)
—ND—