May 9, 2007
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Senior Caitlin Lever, juniors Savannah Brown and Aileen Morales, and sophomore Whitney Haller were all named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team, announced by the league office on Wednesday night at the ACC Softball Banquet, hosted at Florida State University.
The four first team selections for the Jackets were the most by any other school in the league. NC State’s Abbie Sims (pitcher/outfielder) was named Player of the Year, while Florida State’s Monica Montez earned Freshman of the Year honors. After leading his team to the regular season title, Virginia Tech’s Scot Thomas was Coach of the Year, and VT’s Angela Tincher repeated as the conference’s Pitcher of the Year.
Lever, an outfielder from Amherst, N.Y., earns all-conference honors for the third consecutive season, becoming just the fourth Yellow Jacket to accomplish such a feat (Tara Knudsen – 2002-04; Jessica Sallinger – 2003-05; Laura Williams – 1994-97). She led the league, and is fifth in the nation, with a .465 batting average, and tied a single-season school record with 87 hits so far this season. Earlier today, she was named as a Top 10 Finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
Brown, a catcher from San Diego, Calif., is second in the nation with an ACC single-season record 73 runs batted in. She earns all-conference honors for the first time in her career, and has a career-high 20 home runs, sixth-best in the country. She is also hitting .339 heading into ACC Tournament.
Morales, a shortstop from Columbus, Ga., makes her second appearance on the all-conference team, earning second team honors as a freshman (2005). She leads the league and set a new Tech record with 69 runs scored, and has swiped 33 bases, second most in the ACC. She needs just four stolen bases to break the all-time record at Tech of 110 (Laura Williams) and is batting .360.
Haller, a first baseman from Marietta, Ga., makes an appearance on the first team for the second consecutive season. She is following up a record breaking season as a rookie with a .389 batting average, fifth best in the ACC, and 14 home runs. She has driven in 60 runs for the Jackets, which stands third best in the conference, behind Brown and junior Brittany Barnes (71).
The 17th-ranked Yellow Jackets (50-13, 14-6 ACC) are the No. 3 seed at the ACC Tournament, which starts tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. Tech will face No. 6 seed Maryland (32-24, 8-12 ACC) in that first game. The Jackets are currently riding a school record 16-game winning streak.
All games can be seen via webcast on www.ACCSelect.com, or followed on www.ramblinwreck.com via live stats.
2007 All-ACC Teams
First Team
Yuruby Alicart, FSU
Savannah Brown, GT
Whitney Haller, GT
Caitlin Lever, GT
Aileen Morales, GT
Amber Jackson, MD
Jen Chamberlin, ST
Shanna Smith, ST
Abbie Sims, ST
Angela Tincher, VT
Second Team
Jenna Machi, BC
Britney Thompson, BC
Whitney Buckmon, FSU
Tiffany McDonald, FSU
Monica Montez, FSU
Veronica Wootson, FSU
Lisa Norris, NC
Heather Gelbard, ST
Kelly Haller, VA
Callie Rhodes, VT
Caroline Stolle, VT
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