VaSID Announces 2024 University Division Volleyball Awards
The 2024 Virginia Sports Information Directors University Division All-State Volleyball team was announced on Friday, with five schools sharing top award honors. | By Jim Heath, Hampton
January 23, 2025
HAMPTON, Va. - The 2024 Virginia Sports Information Directors University Division All-State Volleyball team was announced on Friday, with five schools sharing top award honors.
Player of the Year: Gabrielle Gilbert – Norfolk State
An outside hitter/opposite from Indianapolis, Ind., Gilbert had an impressive 2024 Spartan campaign, etching her name further into the Norfolk State volleyball record book. She led the conference in total points (457.5) while ranking, second in kills per set (4.06) and second in total kills (394) and earned First Team All-MEAC honors for the second year in a row. Gilbert recorded five double-doubles, six matches with 20 or more kills, and 24 double-digit kill performances in 27 matches played. She posted a season-high 24 kills, along with 11 digs, and two service aces against N.C. Central on Sept. 27.
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Milan Gomillion - UVA, Madison Blane - Liberty
Gomillion finished the 2024 campaign with 487 digs, ranking second in the ACC and 69th nationally. She also ranked second in the ACC, averaging 4.35 digs per set. The 4.35 average was good enough to place Gomillion 76th nationally and earned All-Region honors. Gomillion's signature performance of the season came in a 3-1 win at Cal (Nov. 15) when the senior tallied a career-best 37 digs in the victory. The 37 kills were the most by a Cavaliers since Emily Rottman collected 40 digs against Clemson in 2012.
Blane was named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week twice this season and five times in her career. For the year, Blane leads the CUSA in blocks per set in conference play (1.43) while ranking third overall (28th nationally) with 1.33 blocks per set. Her 152 blocks are ranked sixth nationally and second all-time on Liberty's single-season, rally-scoring records list. Her 13 blocks against Sam Houston on Nov. 2 set a new Liberty Arena record and tied Liberty's single-match rally-scoring record. She has recorded the two highest single-match block totals by a Conference USA player this season (13 versus Sam Houston, Nov. 2; 12 versus Sam Houston, Nov. 1). Blane has posted five or more blocks 17 times this season, with 11 of those occasions happening in conference play.
Rookie of the Year: Lara Del Core VCU
Del Core has been a breakout success during her freshman campaign. She ranks eighth in the A-10 in kills per set (3.04) and has also provided VCU with 20 aces and 0.89 digs per set while hitting .257. She is hitting .312 and averaging 3.29 kills per set in league matches, both top 10 marks in the league.
Coach of the Year: Megan Shifflett Bachmann – George Mason
Bachmann, in her third year at George Mason, helped guide the Patriots to their best season since 2010 with 11 wins. They won eight matches at home which is also the most since 2010 and is the first Patriot coach to win since Pat Kendrick in 2009.
First Team
Kate Gammer – Liberty
Gabrielle Gilbert – Norfolk State
Milan Gomillion - Virginia
Jasmine Knight - VCU
Sophia Paspal - Radford
Julia Rienks - VCU
Abby Tadder – Virginia
Second Team
Madison Blane - Liberty
Myah Conway - ODU
Lara Del Core – VCU
Kate Dean – Virginia
Zoey Dood - Virginia
Elayna Duprey - Virginia
Sydney McCree – Norfolk State
Hailey Pearce – Virginia Tech
Autumn Martinez Robinson – George Mason
Myah Conway - ODU
Lara Del Core – VCU
Kate Dean – Virginia
Zoey Dood - Virginia
Elayna Duprey - Virginia
Sydney McCree – Norfolk State
Hailey Pearce – Virginia Tech
Autumn Martinez Robinson – George Mason
