CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia volleyball junior Sarah Billiard (Matthews, N.C.) was named to the Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team on Friday (Aug. 9). The 18-member team was voted on by the league’s head coaches.
 
Billiard is the first Cavalier to earn the preseason recognition since 2016 when Haley Kole was named Preseason All-ACC. In 2018, Billiard led Virginia with a career-high 368 kills. She averaged 3.44 kills per set to finish 11th in the ACC.

As part of her team-leading season, Billiard recorded 20 or more kills on three different occasions. She set a career-high with 25 kills in a win over George Mason while hitting .417 in the match. It was one of six matches in which Billiard recorded double-digit kills and hit better than .400. She hit a career-best .500 in Virginia’s sweep at North Carolina, racking up 12 kills in the match.
 
Billiard is a two-time All-ACC Academic Volleyball team member and was a member of the 2017 ACC All-Freshman team. She and the Cavaliers open fall camp on Saturday (Aug. 10) in preparation for the 2019 season which begins on Aug. 30 against Furman in the Cavalier Classic.
 
2019 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team
Brooke Bailey, OH, Jr., Clemson
Kaylin Korte, OH, Jr., Clemson
Payton Schwantz, OH, Jr., Duke
Payton Caffrey, OH, Sr., Florida State
Taryn Knuth, MB, Jr., Florida State
Mikaila Dowd, OH, So., Georgia Tech
Melanie McHenry, OH, Sr., Louisville
Elizaveta Lukianova, OH, R-Jr., Miami
Melissa Evans, OPP, Jr., NC State
Sydney Bent, RS, So., Notre Dame
Charley Niego, OH, So., Notre Dame
Zoe Nunez, S, So., Notre Dame
Kayla Lund, OH, Jr., Pitt
Nika Markovic, RS, Sr., Pitt
Layne Van Buskirk, MB, Sr., Pitt
Stephanie Williams, OH, R-Sr., Pitt
Polina Shemanova, OH, So., Syracuse
Sarah Billiard, OH/RS, Jr., Virginia