The UCSB women’s volleyball team suffered a big blow when it learned Thursday that starting outside hitter Leah Sully would be lost for the rest of the season after suffering a torn knee ligament.
Sully, a sophomore, tore her anterior cruciate ligament in the Gauchos’ season opener last Friday at Cal.
The Irvine native led the 2009 squad in aces, finished second in digs and was third in kills. She was expected to fill the role of 2009 Big West Player of the Year Rebecca Saraceno, who graduated.
“We are so disappointed that Leah will be out for the season,” UCSB head coach Kathy Gregory said.
“She is one of the most important parts of this team. Her ball control and passing were going to help us run a faster attack. As a result, we’ll try to regroup and it will just take us awhile to adjust to her loss.”
Sully is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the Gauchos’ 2011 season.
The Gauchos will play in the USF Powerade/Asics Challenge this weekend and will face San Francisco on Friday night and then Washington State and Tulsa on Saturday.
