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Virginia's Ashcraft And Davis Earn All-America Honors
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Dec. 18, 2003
DALLAS, Texas – University of Virginia fourth-year volleyball players Whitney Ashcraft (Yorktown, Ind./Burris) and Paige Davis (Austin, Texas/Westlake) have been selected as 2003 American Volleyball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-Americans as announced by the AVCA. Ashcraft and Davis are the first All-Americans in the 25-year history of the Virginia volleyball program. The duo became eligible for All-America consideration after earning AVCA first-team All-East Region honors earlier in December.
Ashcraft is one of only three liberos/defensive specialists in the country to earn All-America honors. She captured first-team All-Region honors in 2003 after being selected as an honorable mention All-East Region pick in 2002. Ashcraft is only the second UVa player to garner All-Region and first-team All-ACC honors twice. She was an All-ACC First Team honoree in 2002 and 2003.
Ashcraft, a two-time regular season tournament MVP in 2003, led all ACC players in digs (627) and dig per game (5.10). She ranks seventh among all Division I players in digs per game in 2003. Her 627 digs this season are the second highest single season total in school history. The three-time team captain is second on UVa’s career digs list with 1,603, which is also seventh on the ACC’s all-time digs list. She twice notched a school record 42 digs in a match this season. Ashcraft set the school mark with 42 digs in a four-game win over Syracuse (September 13) then equaled her impressive school record in a five-game win against North Carolina (November 8). In 2003, she reached double figures in digs in 31 of 34 matches, including the last 17 matches of the season. Ashcraft started all 34 matches and played in all 123 games in 2003.
Davis, a rightside/opposite hitter, joins Ashcraft in achieving UVa volleyball history by becoming the program’s first All-Americans. The All-America honor is one of many firsts for Davis in 2003 as she also garnered first-team All-East Region and second-team All-ACC accolades for the first time in her career. Davis was also an ACC All-Freshmen selection in 2000. She is only the fourth player in UVa volleyball history to register 1,000 career kills and digs. Davis ranks among Virginia’s all-time leaders in both kills and digs. With 1,432 career digs, Davis is third all-time at UVa, while her 1,107 career digs rank seventh. She is also 10th on Virginia’s career service aces list with 114.
Davis, a co-captain in 2003, tallied a career-best 483 kills this season and also possessed a career-best .286 hitting percentage. Her 483 kills are the fourth highest single season total in school history. Davis also recorded 185 digs and a career-best 99 blocks in 2003. Davis was named the MVP of the 2003 Tiger Classic and was also named to two All-Tournament teams. She started all 34 matches this season and played in all 123 games.
The Cavaliers finished the 2003 season with an impressive 25-9 overall record and an 8-8 mark in the ACC. UVa just missed earning a bid to the 2003 NCAA Volleyball Championship.