Nov. 26, 2001

Santa Barbara, Calif. - Five members of the UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team earned All-Big West Conference recognition, league commissioner Dennis Farrell announced Monday.

Middle blocker Danielle Bauer (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill High School) repeated as an All-Big West First Team honoree following an outstanding junior season in which she recorded double-digit kills in 26 of the Gauchos' 30 matches in 2001. Bauer has led the Santa Barbara attack 22 times this season, and also tallied 15 double-doubles (kills and digs), second-most in the conference. Her 4.35 kills per game were fourth best among all league players.

Joining Bauer on the All-Big West First team was senior outside hitter Brie Lampe (Nevada City, Calif., Nevada Union HS), who earned the first-ever postseason accolade of her collegiate career. Lampe ranked fifth in the Big West with a .323 hitting percentage, and connected above a .400 clip in 11 different matches. Her average of 3.15 kills per game is third highest on the team.

Honorable mention All-Big West acclaim went to sophomore outside hitter Erica Menzel (Santa Barbara, Calif./San Marcos HS) and junior setter Brooke Niles (Woodland Hills, Calif./Calabasas HS). Menzel, an all-conference second team pick in 2000, came on strong in league play and can boast 11 double-doubles and a kills per game average of 3.11 that ranks her second amongst all Gauchos. Niles averaged 9.84 assists per game in Big West play, and opened the season with a triple-double (12 kills, 16 assists, 18 digs) against sixth-ranked Wisconsin. Niles was the 1999 Big West Freshman of the Year and an all-conference second team selection that year. The Big West did not select a second team this season, only awarding first team and honorable mention recognition.

Rounding out the all-conference sections for Santa Barbara was middle blocker Niki Carroll (Yucaipa, Calif./Yucaipa HS), who earned a spot on the Big West All-Freshman Team. Carroll is UCSB's second-leading blocker with 0.88 per game, and has also pounded down 1.88 kills per game. Her career high of 13 kills came in a Nov. 9 victory at UC Riverside.

Long Beach State senior middle blocker Cheryl Weaver earned Big West Player of the Year honors, while Cal Poly outside hitter Jessica Diepersloot was selected as Freshman of the Year by conference coaches. Long Beach State's Brian Gimmillaro earned his sixth Big West Conference Coach of the Year award.

Earlier Monday the 24th-ranked Gauchos earned a birth in the 64-team NCAA Tournament. UCSB