Three Panthers Earn All-Big East Honors
11/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 19, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Seniors Meagan Dooley and Michelle Rossi earned Player and Libero of the Year, respectively, while junior Amy Town earned All-Big East honors, on the eve of the first round of the 2009 Big East Tournament.
Dooley garnered her first All-Big East first team honor and her fourth career all-conference selection. The only unanimous first team pick, Dooley becomes the first Panther named Player of the Year since Megan Miller in 2004 and the fifth in program’s history.
Dooley has had a stellar year, as she was a two-time Big East Player of the Week and earned ESPN Academic All-District first team honors. In the regular season, Dooley led the league in blocks per set (1.71) and points per set (4.94), while placing second in hitting percentage (.386). Nationally, she ranks sixth in blocks per set and is 18th overall in points per set. In her career, Dooley is second overall in all-time career total blocks (514), block solos (124) and block assists (390). She has recorded 20 or more kills in three matches this year.
Earning her first All-Big East honor, Rossi was the lone libero selected to the 12-member first team and became the second Panther to earn Libero of the Year (Megan McGrane-2003, 05). On the year, Rossi averages 4.79 digs per set and is ranked 50th in the country for digs. She has had 20 or more digs in a match nine times this season. At Pitt’s last match of the regular season, she surpassed the 2,000 mark in career digs and is second overall on the all-time digs list at Pitt.
Town earned her first all-conference accolade as a member of the All-Big East second team. During the regular season, she was fifth in the Big East in kills and seventh in points per set. Town leads the Panthers in service aces and is second on the team in swings, kills, digs, and points. She has a season best of 26 kills and earned all-tournament honors in the Nittany Lion Invitational and Pitt’s Blue and Gold Tournament. Town has posted 20 or more kills in four matches this season.
The Panthers open Big East Tournament action at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, against USF, at the Kentucky International Convention Center.