UC SANTA BARBARA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Megan Blackshire, Erica Menzel and Kristin Nelson all named first team all league, while Olivia Waldowski becomes the fifth Gaucho in the past eight seasons to earn Big West Freshman of the Year acclaim.

Nov. 25, 2003

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team - which has captured back-to-back Big West Conference Championships - had six members of its program recognized Tuesday as the league announced its 2003 postseason awards.

Head coach Kathy Gregory received her second consecutive Big West Coach of the Year award, the fourth such honor of her 29-year career at UCSB. In 2003 she has led the Gauchos to an 18-8 overall record (14-4 in conference play) and No. 22 national ranking. Gregory reached a major milestone on Sept. 12 when she coached her 1,000th career match at the school, a 3-1 victory over American University.

Santa Barbara placed three players on the All-Big West First Team, led by senior outside hitter Erica Menzel who earned postseason accolades from the league for the fourth time in her career. The Santa Barbara native is averaging a team-best 3.67 kills per game, while her 3.65 digs per game ranks seventh in the conference. Menzel - who has recorded a double-double in 16 matches this year - was a Second Team All-Big West honoree in 2000 and an honorable mention choice in 2001 before earning a spot on the first team last season. She ranks among the top-six players in school history in both kills and digs.

Sophomore middle blocker Megan Blackshire (Capistrano Beach, Calif.) also received first team all-conference acclaim after ranking third in the league in hitting percentage at .353 and leading all Gauchos with a 1.00 blocks per game average. The 2002 Big West Freshman of the Year has emerged as an offensive force in her second season at UCSB, pounding home 3.22 kills per game and recording double-digit put-aways in each of her last 13 matches.

The first-ever libero to earn All-Big West honors is UCSB junior Kristin Nelson, named to the first team after averaging a league-leading 4.80 digs per game that also rank her 14th nationally. The native of Manhattan Beach, Calif., has amassed double-digit scoops in 23 of UCSB's 26 matches this season, reaching the 20-dig plateau on 11 occasions. Her incredible 40 digs in only four games at Idaho on Nov. 6 were one-shy of the single-match school record and five-short of the all-time conference mark. This is the first award of Nelson's collegiate career.

For the fifth time in the past eight seasons, a Gaucho has earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors, with middle blocker Olivia Waldowski being named the league's top rookie in 2003. The Irvine, Calif., native - who transferred to UCSB after redshirting last season at Nebraska - leads the Big West with a sparkling .379 hitting percentage, while her aces per game average of 0.39 is sixth-best among all conference players. Waldowski has slammed home 10 or more kills on nine different occasions.

Joining Waldowski on the Big West All-Freshman Team is outside hitter Janine Sandell, who averaged 2.75 kills per game - third on the team - and recorded double-digit kills in 12 matches. The Phoenix, Ariz., native paced the Santa Barbara attack two times, including a Nov. 15 victory over UC Irvine when established her career nigh of 19 put-aways.

The Gauchos have one final tune-up before playing in their 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament, on Saturday, Nov. 29 when they host 21st-ranked Arizona in the Thunderdome at 7:00 p.m.