Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Paige Petty has been named the VaSID Player of the Year as voted on by the state's sports information directors the organization announced Monday. Fellow Hokie midfielder Kayla Frank was named the Rookie of the Year and in total six Hokies earned recognition.
Petty registered 38 goals in 2020, the third-highest total in the nation. The Bernardsville, N.J. native who was once again recognized as a Tewaaraton Award Watch List member added five assists for a total of 43 points, good for a top 10 finish nationally. Petty continues to climb the record books in Blacksburg, finishing the 2020 season fourth in points scored (182), third in goals scored (162) and fifth in draw controls (185). She had a career-high 12 caused turnovers on the defensive side of the field.
Kayla Frank earned Rookie of the Year accolades after she was the nation's highest scoring rookie in 2020 scoring 45 points on the season. She did so with 23 goals and 22 assists. Frank scored eight points in her Virginia Tech debut against Davidson and would tally hat tricks in five of the 10 contests this season. She made history on February 19 when she dished out eight assists in a game vs. Radford, setting a new program record. Frank notched back-to-back game winners during the Hokies' road trip to Cincinnati and Louisville. Her 45 points rank her sixth in D1 for the 2020 season.
She also tallied 15 ground balls, 10 caused turnovers and 14 draw controls.
Frank has also earned the following accolade; 2020 Inside Lacrosse All-American Honorable Mention and
2020 Inside Lacrosse Women All-Rookie Team.
Elena Ricci, a junior defender also earned first team honors. She started all 10 games as a part of the nation's seventh-best defense and tallied 22 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers and 17 draw controls on the circle.
Three Hokies were featured on the second team, Mary Clare McCarthy, Kendall Welch and Emma Crooks.
McCarthy started in all of her appearances this past season and set career highs in caused turnovers and ground balls. The Washington, D.C. native also scored her first career goal on a free position opportunity in the win over Elon.
Welch, a team captain, made the transition to defender this season where she started all 10 games and posted a career-best 20 ground balls and also caused nine turnovers.
Crooks, a Great Falls, Virginia native tallied 23 goals on the season and had 37 draw controls as the primary draw taker for the program. The junior took her career point tally to 92 and she also ranks amongst the top 10 in career draws won with 132. She was named Second Team All-ACC in 2019.
Tech's midfield trio of Crooks and Petty and Frank were the only three teammates in the nation to score 23 or more goals in 2020.
The entire 2020 VaSID All-State Women's Lacrosse University Awards teams can be seen below:
First Team
Attack Sam Geiersbach Richmond
Attack Glory Johnson Old Dominion
Attack Belle Martire William & Mary
Attack Arden Tierney Richmond
Defender Katie Bendrick Radford
Defender Rachel Matey James Madison
Defender Elena Ricci Virginia Tech
Defender Ashley Stilo Virginia
Midfielder Kayla Frank Virginia Tech
Midfielder Sammy Mueller Virginia
Midfielder Paige Petty Virginia Tech
Goalie Molly Dougherty James Madison
Second Team
Attack Deanna Balsama George Mason
Attack Kaitlin Luccarelli Longwood
Attack Maddie McDaniel James Madison
Defender Mary Clare McCarthy Virginia Tech
Defender Emma Johnson James Madison
Defender Kendall Welch Virginia Tech
Midfielder Courtlynne Caskin Virginia
Midfielder Emma Crooks Virginia Tech
Midfielder Lindsey Frank Richmond
Midfielder Carly White Liberty
Goalie Megan Gianforte Richmond
Player of the Year
Paige Petty Virginia Tech
Rookie of the Year
Kayla Frank Virginia Tech
Coach of the Year
Allison Kwolek University of Richmond