Hokie ClubGREENSBORO, N.C. – Announced today by the Atlantic Coast Conference and voted on by the league's 14 coaches, the 2020 Women's Soccer ACC All-Conference teams feature 40 of the league's student-athletes and includes two Virginia Tech Hokies – Emily Gray, a Third Team selection, and Tori Powell, who made the All-Freshman Team.
Gray completed her comeback season from a torn ACL in 2019 with her selection to the third team, which marks her third postseason honor from the conference as she was named to the 2018 All-ACC Freshman Team and the 2019 ACC All-Academic Team.
With her selection, she becomes just the sixth Hokie to be named to the league's freshman team and also earn an all-conference honor and the first since Murielle Tiernan (2013-16). The others include Ashley Meier (2012-15), Jazmine Reeves (2010-13), Kelly Conheeney (2009-12) and Marika Gray (2007-10).
The junior from Sewell, New Jersey, still currently leads the nation in assists, finishing the fall with eight, two better than both Virginia's Lia Godfrey and Duke's Marykate McGuire, who are both still in action in semifinal matches today. Gray also leads the conference in assists per game (0.62), but sits fourth nationally. Entering play Friday, she sits tied for ninth in the country in points (14), which is good for fourth in the league.
When it comes to assists, Gray's four versus Miami (Oct. 15) broke the school record for a single match – the previous high of three was done four times and most recently by Conheeney (Clemson, Oct. 13, 2011). For the season, she tallied the fifth-most ever recorded in a single season at the school, tied with both Marika Gray (2010) and Wendy Kotwas (1999) and is one behind Reeves (2011) for the fourth most. Her 16 career assists are good for seventh on Tech's all-time career list and is one behind Erin Moore (2004-07) for the sixth spot.
Ironically, Gray earned her first ever ACC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honor from the league earlier this year, but it was not for her effort against Miami, but a couple weeks later in the win over Navy (Oct. 24). She assisted on both goals in the 2-1 victory and became just the second midfielder at the school to earn the award – Jennifer Harvey (Sept. 13, 2009). Gray was also named to the College Soccer News – Women's National Team of the Week, and to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week as she tallied her third game-winning assist of the year in that contest and the seventh of her career.
Powell becomes the 14th Hokie to be named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and the first since 2018, when Emily Gray was chosen to the team. The entire list includes Madi Conyers (2014), Tiernan (2013), Meier (2012), Dayle Colpitts and Reeves (2010), Conheeney (2009), Marika Gray and Kelly Lynch (2007), Julian Johnson (2005), Laurie Beth Puglisi (2005), and Heather Hallberg and Ashley Stinson (2004).
Powell's impressive first year in Blacksburg was highlighted by her six-point effort over the season's last weekend as she helped the Hokies earn a berth in the ACC Championship. She scored twice in a 4-3 win at Wake Forest (Oct. 29), including the game winner, and also had an assist in the match. She added an assist on the second goal in the 3-0 win at Boston College (Nov. 1) to complete her week.
That effort was certainly noticed, as Powell was chosen as the ACC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week and was also on the teams of the week released by College Soccer News and TopDrawerSoccer.com.
The Haymarket, Virginia product finished the 2020 ACC regular season tied for fourth in goals scored in ACC-only matches (4) and her 10 points was tied for fifth. Among those who made the ACC tournament, her overall 12 points was tied for third and her five goals was tied for second, with all of them coming in Tech's last seven matches of the regular season. The Hokies won all five games when Powell tallied at least a one point.
Tech (5-8-0, 4-4-0 ACC) finished the regular season in a tie for the sixth spot in the 2020 ACC standings, but earned the seventh seed based on tie-breaker procedures. The Hokies fall season came to an end on Tuesday with a 1-0 quarterfinal loss to No. 1 North Carolina at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
To see the full 2020 All-ACC teams and release, CLICK HERE.