Center Elizabeth Kitley was named the VaSID Defensive Player of the Year the organization announced Thursday afternoon. She was also a First Team pick, while her teammates Aisha Sheppard and Georgia Amoore were placed on the Second Team.
Coach of the Year: Carey Green (Liberty)
Rookie of the Year: Dani McTeer (William & Mary)
Player of the Year: Akila Smith (Longwood)
Defensive Player of the Year: Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech)
First Team
Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech)
Kiki Jefferson (JMU)
Iggy Allen (ODU)
Taya Robinson (VCU)
Mya Berkman (Liberty)
Second Team
Camille Downs (NSU)
Aisha Sheppard (Virginia Tech)
Georgia Amoore (Virginia Tech)
Bridgette Rettstatt (Liberty)
Akila Smith (Longwood)
Kitley became the Hokies' first ever athlete to be named ACC Player of the Year and is the first Hokie to be named to an AP All-American Team. The center is also the only VT player to earn consecutive First Team All-ACC nods.
The Summerfield, North Carolina native was amongst the league leaders in scoring (18.1), rebounds (9.8), blocks (2.4) and FG% (.551) throughout the season. Her 15 double-doubles led the conference as did her 13 games of 20 or more points. She scored 34 twice and finished the year with a 42-point performance in the NCAA Tournament, the second-most ever scored in the opening round of the competition. She recorded four or more blocks in nine different contests. Her 237 made field goals, set a program record for a single season.
She ranks ninth all-time at VT in scoring (1,410), fifth in rebounds (800) and third in blocks (187).
Sheppard became the program's sixth ever WNBA Draft pick Monday night when she was selected with the 23rd pick in the Second Round. She is the highest pick in program history.
This past season, Sheppard averaged better than 13 points per game and scored in double figures 22 times with a high of 30 vs. Tennessee in December. She broke the program's scoring record, her own single-season 3-point mark and the ACC's career 3FG record in 2021-22.
Sheppard, the program's all-time leader in games played and points scored became the first VT athlete to be named All-ACC three times and additionally was named All-Tournament in Greensboro this season.
She concluded her career in first place all-time in the ACC with 402 3-pointers scored and she owns the top three single-season performances in that category at VT. Sheppard earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in 2021 and was also recognized as the Skelton Award for Academic Excellence in Athletics in 2021.
Sheppard was selected 23rd overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft by the Las Vegas Aces.
Amoore was an All-ACC Honorable Mention athlete and started all 33 games and averaged 11.2 points per game and 4.4 assists, the second-most in the ACC. She shot 40% from beyond the arc to lead the conference, making 70 3's. She played all 45 minutes in an epic OT victory over North Carolina at the ACC Tournament and her crossover 3-pointer against Georgia Tech earned her SportsCenter's Top Play of the day.
The Aussie became Virginia Tech's first ever athlete to be named First Team All-Tournament at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro.