Dec. 11, 2002

Santa Barbara, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball players Danielle Bauer, Erica Menzel and Brooke Niles were named to the 2002 American Volleyball Coaches' Association All-West Region Team, while Gaucho head coach Kathy Gregory earned Regional Coach of the Year honors, it was announced Wednesday.

This is the first such award for all three UCSB players and fourth for Gregory, who was also anointed as the West Region's top coach in 1986 and 1990, as well as in 1993 when she earned National Coach of Year honors. The AVCA designates its eight regions according to geographically-proximate conferences, with the West consisting of the Big West, Western Athletic and Big Sky.

With her all-region accolades, Bauer - a senior middle blocker - has added to her long list of awards in 2002, which includes Big West Conference Player of the Year honors and a spot on the Verizon Academic All-District VIII Second Team. Heading into NCAA West Regional play this weekend, the Santa Ana, Calif., native ranks third in the Big West in kills per game at 4.72 and has amassed 1,539 put-aways for her career, just eight shy of moving into second place all-time at UCSB.

One of the most versatile players in Gaucho history, Niles joined Bauer on the all-conference first team this season. Her assists per game average of 14.11 was second-best nationally as of Nov. 24, while the senior setter from Woodland Hills also ranks amongst the Big West's top-five in digs per game at 3.58. With 1,311 career digs, Niles will leave Santa Barbara with the fifth-highest total in school history.

Menzel, a native of Santa Barbara, is another one of UCSB's four All-Big West First Team performers, who topped all league players with 23 double-doubles on the year. The junior outside hitter's 451 digs in 2002 equals the fifth-best single-season mark in Gaucho history.

Gregory now has a quartet of all-region honors to go along with her three Big West Coach of the Year awards, the third of which was earned this season. In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 6, Gregory won the 700th game of her 28-year UCSB career as the Gauchos defeated Fresno State in four games. She currently ranks as the fifth-winningest active coach in the Division I ranks.

On Thursday and Friday UCSB will serve as a Regional host for the first time in the 22-year history of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament. The eigth-seeded Gauchos face No. 9 Pepperdine in the West Regional Semifinals on Thursday at 7:00 p.m., or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the other Sweet 16 showdown between top-seeded USC and Michigan State at 5:00 p.m. The winners of each contest will meet in the Regional Finals on Friday at 7:00 p.m., where a berth in the Final Four is at stake. Tickets for the NCAA West Regionals in the Thunderdome can be purchased by calling (805) 893-UCSB.