Volleyball Gets Three Picked All-CACC

11/19/2024 12:00:00 AM

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Goldey-Beacom's remarkable turnaround season got even better with senior middle blocker Caitlyn Burch (Mechanicsville, MD) named first team All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, freshman libero Gaby Fernandez (Arecibo, PR) picked second team all-league and senior outside hitter Piper Nanouski (Chicago, IL) tabbed third team all-conference.

Burch stepped in during her initial season for the Lightning and was a force at the net with her powerful hitting and timely blocking. A dynamic athlete who helped give the team instant credibility, she is eighth in the league with 320 kills, third with 105 blocks (51st in the country) and fifth with a .332 hitting percentage (77th in the nation).

Her hitting percentage would be a single-season school record if the year ended today and her blocks are fourth over one season. Burch this season has 19 matches with at least 10 kills, including a season-best 19 on September 13 at Bowie State.

Fernandez was a critical addition on defense, saving points that seemed beyond lost and giving the team stability when it needed it most. Already among one of the program's top players in its history, she is second in the league with 564 digs (13th in the country) and has 15 matches this season with at least 20 digs.

Her dig total already is second on the team's single-season list and twice this year she was tabbed the conference's Rookie of the Week. Fernandez also leads the team this season with 39 aces and is second with 104 assists.

Nanouski made the most of her final campaign by once again displaying her strong swing from the outside and also was called upon in key defensive spots. That power helped her close second in the league with a team-best 376 kills (36th in the nation) and she has notched double figures in kills 22 times this season that includes her last 11 matches.

She is fifth in school history with 962 kills and her kills from this year are sixth so far on the program's single-season list.

All of this has taken place in a stunning transformation under first-year coach Alexa Poss. After only winning two matches in 2022 and just five sets last year, Goldey-Beacom (15-14, 8-8 CACC) is off to the CACC Tournament for just the second time since 2006 and first since 2017.

Goldey-Beacom clinched its spot in a heart-stopping 3-2 victory Saturday at Wilmington with the fourth and final spot from the CACC South Division up for grabs. Junior Giuliana Jaku (Frontin, Italy) recorded a season-best 26 kills to go with 15 digs for her ninth double-double of the season, Nanouski recorded 16 kills with sophomore Ngozi Nwosu (Brockport, MA) adding 15 to give her 38 over her last three matches.

Goldey-Beacom on Tuesday visits North Division champion Post in the conference quarterfinals, beginning at 6:00 pm.

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