Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Senior team captain Felicia Willoughby was selected to the preseason All-ACC volleyball squad for the 2010 season and the Hokies were picked to finish eighth in the preseason standings, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Tuesday.
Willoughby earned preseason all-conference honors for the third consecutive season after a strong 2009 campaign. The Pleasanton, Calif., native became the first Hokie in program history to garner multiple All-America honors, after she claimed her second consecutive honorable mention in 2009. Additionally, she was named VaSID First Team All-State, First-Team All-ACC, All-AVCA East Region, and the Virginia Tech Tournament MVP. Willoughby had 17 double-digit kill matches and recorded a double-double at North Carolina on Nov. 8, notching 14 kills and a career-high 13 blocks in the match. She finished with 25 block solos and 114 block assists for 139 total blocks on the season, ranking her third in the ACC. As she enters her fourth and final season with the Hokies, she stands in fourth all-time in career block assists (352) and total blocks (428); Willoughby, who averages 142.7 blocks per season, is just 22 block assists and 66 total blocks away from becoming Tech’s new all-time blocking leader.
Tech racked up 55 points and the conference coaches predicted the Hokies to finish eighth, ahead of Maryland, Wake Forest, NC State and Boston College. Florida State and Duke both picked up 108 points to tie for the first-place ranking, with Florida State garnering five first-place votes and Duke earning four. Georgia Tech took a close third place, picking up the final three first-place votes. Miami was picked to finish fourth with a solid vote lead over the fifth through seventh place teams, North Carolina, Clemson, and Virginia, who were separated by just five points.
2010 Preseason All-ACC Team
| Name | School | Class | Position |
| Sandra Adeleye | Clemson | Sophomore | MB |
| Alexa Rand | Clemson | Sophomore | MB |
| Becci Burling | Duke | Senior | MB |
| Kellie Catanach | Duke | Junior | S |
| Claire Smalzer | Duke | Senior | L |
| Rachael Morgan | Florida State | Junior | OH |
| Stephanie Neville | Florida State | Senior | OH |
| Fatma Yildirim | Florida State | Sophomore | OH |
| Bailey Hunter | Georgia Tech | Junior | OH |
| Jordan McCullers | Georgia Tech | Senior | DS |
| Monique Mead | Georgia Tech | Sophomore | RS |
| Mary Ashley Tippins | Georgia Tech | Senior | S |
| Lane Carico | Miami | Junior | OH |
| Lici McGee | Miami | Senior | MB |
| Courtney Johnston | North Carolina | Senior | OH/RS |
| Simone Asque | Virginia | Junior | OH |
| Felicia Willoughby | Virginia Tech | Senior | MB |
| Kadija Fornah | Wake Forest | Junior | OH |
2010 Predicted Order of Finish
T1. Florida State (5) - 108 ptsT1. Duke (4) - 108 pts3. Georgia Tech (3) - 103 pts4. Miami - 92 pts5. North Carolina - 75 pts6. Clemson - 71 pts7. Virginia - 70 pts8. Virginia Tech - 55 pts9. Maryland - 40 pts10. Wake Forest - 38 pts11. NC State - 20 pts12. Boston College - 12 pts
() - indicates first place votes