Four Panthers Collect ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Awards

PITTSBURGH – Four student-athletes from the University of Pittsburgh have been selected as 2023 ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Award recipients, the league announced Friday. The ACC honored 53 student athletes across the conference with the award.
 
The Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships are awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree following completion of their undergraduate requirements. Each recipient will receive $6,000 toward his or her graduate education. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
 
This year’s list includes three student-athletes who will also receive the Thacker Award and nine student-athletes who plan to pursue professional careers in their chosen sports and were named honorary recipients.
 
Chiamaka Nwokolo of volleyball, Emy Hayford of women’s basketball and Yvonne Whaley of softball each received the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford scholarship. Nino Bonaccorsi, from wrestling, was selected as an honorary recipient.
 
This year’s class of postgraduate scholarship recipients will be highlighted in a one-hour show on ACC Network that will air in May.
 
CHIAMAKA NWOKOLO, PITT, VOLLEYBALL, LEGAL STUDIES
Nwokolo ended her All-American career with two ACC Championships, two Final Four and three Elite 8 appearances. She was a vital member of the rise of Pitt Volleyball, playing in 108 matches and delivering 472 kills on .380 hitting while also adding 282 total blocks. Her .380 hitting is the highest career hitting percentage of any Panther in program history over a four-year span. She was awarded Honorable Mention All-American status in 2020 after posting 1.73 kills/set on .411 hitting and .88 blocks/set and leading Pitt past the 2^nd round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. She finished her career with one of the most efficient NCAA Tournament performances in program history, making 41 kills on .473 hitting in Pitt’s Final Four run of 2022 earning herself a spot on the Madison All-Region Team for her performances in the Panthers victories over Florida and defending national champions, Wisconsin, at the UW Field House. Nwokolo was a two-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree and was…