UCSB senior Gillian Morgan was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches it was announced on Thursday. The utility player led the Gauchos and the Big West Conference in goals during her final year in the blue and gold.
Morgan is the first UCSB player since the 2006 season to earn All-American honors. She also earned First Team All-Big West honors following the 2009 campaign.
Morgan, who hails from Sacramento, led the Big West with an average of 2.86 goals per game and tallied 83 total goals during the season, setting a new UCSB single-season record. During her four-year career, she posted 205 goals, ranking second all-time behind Kelley Tiffany’s (1999-2002) 213.
The senior led the team scoring in 19 of the Gauchos’ 29 games and had 23 multiple-goal games. She was held scoreless on just two occasions and posted five or more goals on seven occasions – including her school-record tying seven-goal performance against Long Beach State on Feb. 22.
In addition to her prolific scoring, Morgan was second on the team with 13 assists, tied for first with 19 steals and tied for third with 32 earned penalties or ejections.
UCSB finished the 2009 season with a 17-12 record, an 11-win improvement from the 2008 season and its first winning season since 2005, when the Gauchos posted an identical record. The Gauchos finished second at the inaugural Big West Conference Championship in April.
