Nov. 22, 2005

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - On the heels of winning a fourth consecutive Big West Conference regular season title, the UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team collected a host of all-league awards Tuesday, including top honors for the Gauchos' star player and head coach.

Junior outside hitter Janine Sandell became UCSB's third Big West Player of the Year honoree, following in the footsteps of Roberta Gehlke (1999) and Danielle Bauer (2002). The London, England native - who played her prep volleyball at Deer Valley High School in Glendale, Ariz. - is currently enjoying one of the most outstanding offensive seasons in school history with a 5.26 kills per game average that ranks eighth nationally. That is on pace to be the second-highest average ever by a Gaucho. Sandell has amassed double-digit put aways in all 26 matches this season - with 10 performances of 20 or more - and has led or tied for the team lead all but once. Thanks to a digs per game average of 3.13 that is 10th-best in the conference, she has recorded 14 or her 27 career double-doubles in 2005. This marks the second straight First Team All-Big West selection for Sandell, who recently moved into 10th place on Santa Barbara's career kills list with 1,173. Finally, she is the league's sixth-most efficient server with 0.35 aces per game this year.

Joining Sandell on the 16-player all-conference first team are a pair of teammates, one who is quite familiar with the list and another who has received her first collegiate honor of any kind. Senior middle blocker Megan Blackshire has garnered her third straight award after establishing herself as one of the Big West's most efficient attackers yet again. The native of Capistrano Beach, Calif., currently ranks fifth in the league with a .327 hitting percentage, while her .344 career mark is fourth-best in UCSB annals. She also owns a 1.02 blocks per game mark this season that is seventh-highest among all conference players and is one of just 14 players in Santa Barbara history with 1,000 or more kills.

Meanwhile middle blocker Brett Quirarte was rewarded for her breakthrough sophomore campaign with First Team All-Big West acclaim as well. After amassing just seven kills and four total blocks in limited action as a rookie, the Long Beach, Calif., native can boast a 1.43 kills per game average and 0.91 blocks per game mark that is second-best among all Gauchos. Quirarte's career highs of 11 kills and eight blocks came during wins at Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine, respectively, as she has assumed a full-time starting role in 2005.

Earning All-Big West honorable mention recognition were a pair of juniors, libero Emily Hendrickson and middle blocker Olivia Waldowski. It is the first-ever postseason award for Hendrickson, who made a successful early-season transition from outside hitter as evidenced by her 4.63 digs per game that rank fourth among all conference players. On the heels of a first team all-league nod in 2004, Waldowski has turned into a defensive stopper as of late with 1.02 blocks per game during Big West play. Her 10 block assists at UCI equaled a rally-scoring school record.

Finally, Lauren McLaughlin earned a spot on the seven-player Big West All-Freshman Team after averaging 2.45 kills per game, tying Blackshire for second-highest on the squad. The outside hitter from Torrance, Calif., has enjoyed 10 double-digit kill performances as a rookie, including a career-high 21 put-aways vs. Cal State Northridge.

For the fourth straight season and sixth time in her career, UCSB's head coach Kathy Gregory has been named Big West Coach of the Year by her peers, sharing top honors in 2005 with Long Beach State's Brian Gimmillaro. UCSB and LBSU finished tied atop the conference standings with identical 12-2 marks. Gregory is the only coach Gaucho women's volleyball has ever known, guiding the program to a 762-315 (.706) record during her 31 years at the school.

UCSB (18-8 overall) closes the regular season with three non-conference road matches this week, the first being tonight at Loyola Marymount. First serve is slated for 7:00 p.m.