UCSB senior outside hitter Rebecca Saraceno was named Big West Player of the Year it was announced on Tuesday after a vote of conference head coaches. Stacey Schmidt, a sophomore opposite, and Dana Vargas, a junior setter, were also named to the First Team while Head Coach Kathy Gregory was named the conference’s Co-Coach of the Year.
UCSB senior Rebecca Saraceno
Saraceno, who is averaging a league-best 4.50 kills per set which also is 12th in the nation, becomes the first UCSB player to win Player of the Year honors since Janine Sandell in 2005 and just the fourth player in UCSB history to be tabbed Big West Player of the Year. Saraceno averaged 4.51 kills per set during conference play and is currently ninth on UCSB’s career kills list.
“This culminates one of the greatest seasons in UCSB history,” Gregory said. “No player in the Big West has ever been named a Player of the Year without ever having made the First Team.”
Saraceno’s previous conference recognition was as a member of the All-Freshman Team in 2006. She was named conference Player of the Week a school-record four times and also was named AVCA National Player of the Week, becoming the first Gaucho to garner that honor since 2004.
UCSB, which finished tied for second in the Big West with an 11-5 record and holds a 21-7 overall mark, had three players make the all-conference First Team for the first time since having four players named to the squad in 2006.
Gregory, who shared Coach of the Year honors with UC Davis’ Jamie Holmes, won the award for the seventh time. The legendary coach, now in her 35th season, last picked up Coach of the Year honors in 2005. Following the only two losing seasons in UCSB history, Gregory has led the Gauchos to the 20-victory mark for the first time since 2005, which was also the last season the Gauchos won more than 10 conference matches.
Vargas was one of only two setters to make the First Team as the junior is second in the Big West with her 11.01 assists per set mark, which also ranks 32nd in the nation. The Seal Beach, Calif. native was previously named to the All-Freshman Team in 2007.
Schmidt missed all of last season while recovering from knee surgery and is third in the conference in hitting percentage and second on the Gauchos in kills per set with a 2.36 average. This is her first-ever honor.
