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Dec. 8, 2004

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Virginia first-year outside hitter Sarah Kirkwood (Tampa, Fla./Plant) has been named an honorable mention selection on the 2004 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-East Region Team as announced Wednesday (December 8) by the AVCA. Kirkwood is one of six players to earn honorable mention accolades, while 12 players were named first-team All-Region. Fourteen of 18 players who were named All-East Region are from Atlantic Coast Conference schools.

Kirkwood is one of only three freshmen to earn All-East Region accolades. She is also the ninth Virginia volleyball player to garner AVCA All-Region honors.

The 6-0 outside hitter started all 30 matches in 2004 and played in all 112 games. Kirkwood was an All-ACC Volleyball Second Team pick in 2004. She was also named the 2004 ACC Freshman of the Year and was a member of the six-player ACC All-Freshmen Team. Kirkwood became the first Virginia volleyball player to be selected as the ACC Freshman of the Year since the conference instituted the award in 1992. She is also just the second Cavalier first-year to capture All-ACC honors with her second-team selection, and the first since 1989.

Kirkwood tallied a team-high 554 kills in 2004 and ranks third among all ACC players in kills and kills per game (4.95). With her 554 kills, Kirkwood stands second on the Cavaliers’ single season kills list and she set a school record with 1,419 attack attempts. Deanna Zwarich holds the school record with 575 kills in 2000. Kirkwood is ranked 26th among all Division I players with her 4.95 kills per game and is one of only two freshmen ranked in the top 30 in the nation in that category. She reached double figures in kills in 28 of 30 matches this season and was second on the team with a .264 hitting percentage. In addition, Kirkwood was second on the team in service aces (40), third in digs (270) and fourth in total blocks (54).

Kirkwood was named to the Louisville Courtyard by Marriott and InnTowner Invitational All-Tournament teams during the regular season. She was also selected as the ACC Volleyball Player of the Week on September 6.

The Cavaliers finished the 2004 season with a 19-11 overall record and an 8-8 mark in the ACC.

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