Polina Shemanova wins co-ACC Player of the Week following sweep of Pitt

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The Atlantic Coast Conference named Syracuse junior Polina Shemanova as co-ACC Player of the Week on Monday after she helped lead the Orange to back-to-back wins against defending ACC champion Pittsburgh.

The St. Petersburg, Russia native recorded 28 kills, 28 digs and 10 blocks over eight sets. Shemanova led the Orange in kills (20) in Friday’s five-set victory and tied with teammates Ella Saada and Marina Markova with eight kills in the Orange’s shutout win the following day. Shemanova was crucial as the Orange handed the Panthers their first ACC loss since Oct. 28, 2018, when Pitt lost 3-1 to Duke. 

This is Shemanova’s fourth time being named ACC Player of the Week. She won the award three consecutive times last season between Oct. 28 and Nov. 11. This week, Shemanova split the award with University of Miami’s Elizaveta Lukianova. 

Shemanova is 40 kills away from the 1,000 mark in her career. She led the ACC in kills last season with 485, the fourth-most for a single season in Orange history. Shemanova is 738 kills short of Syracuse’s all-time kill leader, Dana Fiume, who recorded 1,698 kills between 1997 and 2000. 

Shemanova and the Orange are seeking to remain undefeated when they take travel to Notre Dame for a two-game series this weekend.