Five Anteaters Earn All-Big West Recognition; Marjama Tabbed Freshman of the Year
November 20, 2018 | Women's Volleyball
IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine had five student-athletes named to All-Big West Conference teams, highlighted by four named to the first-team and Abby Marjama named co-Freshman of the Year.
Marjama joins Kari Pestolesi as the only two Anteaters to be crowned Freshman of the Year. The outside hitter led the conference in aces with 44 and a 0.43 average. She fired a school record nine aces against Saint Mary's which were the most in the conference this season and second most in the country. The freshman was second on the team in kills with a 2.67 average and was eighth in the conference against Big West opponents with a 3.08 mark. She hit .520 (15-2-25) in the first meeting with UC Davis which was the fifth-best mark by a player in a conference match. Marjama registered four Big West Freshman of the Week awards over the course of the season, the most of any newcomer
She was also named honorable mention and became the 23rd UCI player to be named to the All-Freshman team.
Seniors Idara Akpakpa, Haley DeSales and Ali Koumelis as well as sophomore Loryn Carter were name to the first team.
It is the second consecutive year Akpakpa and DeSales have been tabbed a first-teamer with Carter and Koumelis earning their first first-team recognition..
Akpakpa was second in conference matches in hitting percentage (.352) and blocking (1.15). Overall she averaged 1.04 blocks and 2.25 kills, while hitting .316. The middle blocker had a career-best nine total blocks three times this season and is ranked ninth in UCI career block assists (272) and eighth in total blocks (319).
DeSales moved to libero for a majority of the season and was third in the league with a 4.69 dig average. She had double-figure digs in all but one match, collecting 20 or more digs nine times, including a career-high 26 versus UC Riverside. The senior also had 15 aces, 88 set assists and 45 kills in 2018. DeSales is currently tied for ninth in UCI digs in a season with 478.
Koumelis, who was an honorable mention selection last year, was third in the Big West in set assists with a 9.53 average. In league matches, Koumelis guided UCI to the third best team hitting percentage (.231). She had a season-high 43 set assists against Bowling Green which was most in the conference in a three-set match this season. The senior ranks seventh all-time at UCI with 2,311 career set assists. She also averaged 2.45 digs per set and 19 aces.
Carter led the squad with a 2.89 kill average, which was ninth best among Big West players. She topped the Anteaters in kills on nine occasions and recorded kills in double figures 17 times. The outside hitter had a career-high 16 kills twice this season.
UCI garnered five all-conference performers for the second consecutive year.
Marjama joins Kari Pestolesi as the only two Anteaters to be crowned Freshman of the Year. The outside hitter led the conference in aces with 44 and a 0.43 average. She fired a school record nine aces against Saint Mary's which were the most in the conference this season and second most in the country. The freshman was second on the team in kills with a 2.67 average and was eighth in the conference against Big West opponents with a 3.08 mark. She hit .520 (15-2-25) in the first meeting with UC Davis which was the fifth-best mark by a player in a conference match. Marjama registered four Big West Freshman of the Week awards over the course of the season, the most of any newcomer
She was also named honorable mention and became the 23rd UCI player to be named to the All-Freshman team.
Seniors Idara Akpakpa, Haley DeSales and Ali Koumelis as well as sophomore Loryn Carter were name to the first team.
It is the second consecutive year Akpakpa and DeSales have been tabbed a first-teamer with Carter and Koumelis earning their first first-team recognition..
Akpakpa was second in conference matches in hitting percentage (.352) and blocking (1.15). Overall she averaged 1.04 blocks and 2.25 kills, while hitting .316. The middle blocker had a career-best nine total blocks three times this season and is ranked ninth in UCI career block assists (272) and eighth in total blocks (319).
DeSales moved to libero for a majority of the season and was third in the league with a 4.69 dig average. She had double-figure digs in all but one match, collecting 20 or more digs nine times, including a career-high 26 versus UC Riverside. The senior also had 15 aces, 88 set assists and 45 kills in 2018. DeSales is currently tied for ninth in UCI digs in a season with 478.
Koumelis, who was an honorable mention selection last year, was third in the Big West in set assists with a 9.53 average. In league matches, Koumelis guided UCI to the third best team hitting percentage (.231). She had a season-high 43 set assists against Bowling Green which was most in the conference in a three-set match this season. The senior ranks seventh all-time at UCI with 2,311 career set assists. She also averaged 2.45 digs per set and 19 aces.
Carter led the squad with a 2.89 kill average, which was ninth best among Big West players. She topped the Anteaters in kills on nine occasions and recorded kills in double figures 17 times. The outside hitter had a career-high 16 kills twice this season.
UCI garnered five all-conference performers for the second consecutive year.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballAnteater Spotlights | Ep. 4 | Ally Bolden
Wednesday, December 03
NOT backing down 🙅♀️
Tuesday, December 02
Firing off on all cylinders, no dust 🗣️
Tuesday, November 25
𝑩𝒆 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔 😌
Friday, November 21
