University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Michelle Thao Earns Third Libero of the Week Honor of the Season
11.17.2025 | Women's Volleyball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For the third time this season, Michelle Thao has been named the Big South Conference Libero of the Week. The announcement was made on Monday (Nov. 17).
Thao is the first Bulldog since Raquel Miotto in 2009 to earn three Big South Weekly Honors in one season.
In one game this past week, Thao helped lead Asheville to a straight-set victory over USC Upstate to close out the regular season. With Friday's win over the Spartans, Asheville claimed the No. 4 seed in the Big South Conference tournament, marking the highest finish for the program since the Bulldogs were the No. 4 seed in 2018.
Against Upstate, Thao recorded 15 digs and had 10 receptions with zero errors for a perfect 1.000 reception percentage. This season, Thao has played in all 27 matches and all 99 sets. She has 24 aces, 484 digs, averaging 4.89 a set, and 514 total reception attempts and a .955 reception percentage.
Thao shares Libero of the Week honors this week with Nalani McBride from Gardner-Webb, who, in five sets, had 21 digs, six assists, and a service ace in a five-set season-ending loss to Winthrop.
Asheville is back in action on Friday (Nov. 21) for the first round of the Big South Volleyball Championship Tournament, as No. 4 Asheville takes on No. 5 USC Upstate at 3 p.m. in the Millis Athletic Center on the campus of High Point.
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