2024-25 Year in Review: Top Individuals

UC Irvine Athletics continues its 2024-25 Year-in-Review with a look at some of the season’s top individuals. UCI finished the campaign with 11 All-Americans, marking the third-straight year 10+ Anteaters have earned the national recognition. The ‘Eaters also had three Big West Players of the Year, 80 All-Big West performers, 51 Big West Athletes of the Week and four national players of the week.

BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Noah Zamora – Men’s Tennis

Senior Noah Zamora was named the Big West Men’s Tennis Player of the Year after leading the Anteaters to their second-straight conference championship, and third in his four seasons at UC Irvine. In the final against No. 34 UC Santa Barbara, Zamora took down 63rd-ranked Gianluca Brunkow at the top of the lineup for the title-clinching win. It was his sixth ranked victory of the season. The San Diego native closed out the campaign with a team-leading 21-9 overall singles record, while he went 13-4 in dual matches, all at No. 1. Zamora was 7-0 against Big West opponents to extend his conference unbeaten streak to 32 matches (24-0). Zamora earned All-Big West honors in singles and doubles for the fourth consecutive year, and he also racked up his third and fourth career Big West Player of the Week awards.

During the fall, Zamora was the first ‘Eater to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championships since 2011. He was also the first to advance in the tournament since 1989 after upsetting No. 13 Sebastian Dominko of Notre Dame in the Round of 64. Zamora punched his NCAA ticket with a runner-up showing at the ITA Southwest Regional where he won his first five matches, including a quarterfinal victory over No. 109 Casper Christensen of Arizona and a semifinal win over UCLA’s Emon van Loben Sels. Zamora was featured in every ITA Top-125 Singles Poll this year with a high ranking of No. 31, and a final ranking of No. 66.

BIG WEST FIELD PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Colin Yeaman – Baseball

For the third year in a row, and fourth time in the last five seasons, an Anteater was named the Big West Field Player of the Year. First-year shortstop Colin Yeaman continued UCI baseball’s excellence as he took home the top honor in 2025. Yeaman was the only ‘Eater to play in all 60 games, and started every one. He flirted with a .400 average for most of the campaign, finishing at .336. He was tops on the squad with 83 hits, 38 walks, and 62 runs, while tying for the team lead in home runs (13) and doubles (16). In addition, he was second with 56 RBIs, four triples and three steals.

Yeaman was a first-team All-Big West selection and garnered national recognition as a semifinalist for both the Brooks Wallace Award and Dick Howser Trophy.

BIG WEST PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Ricky Ojeda – Baseball

Sophomore Ricky Ojeda made history as the first reliever to be named the Big West Pitcher of the Year. He was a perfect 7-0 in Big West play, leading to a 13-1 overall record. His 13 wins were the second-most in the country.

The left-hander pitched 66 innings in 29 appearances. He collected 83 strikeouts to go with a 3.45 ERA. Ojeda also earned his second All-Big West First Team award in as many seasons. In addition, he was recognized by the NCBWA as a Stopper of the Year Finalist, National Pitcher of the Year semifinalist and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist. Ojeda capped his year off with All-Tournament Team accolades from the NCAA Los Angeles Regional, and earned a spot on the U.S. Collegiate National Team this summer.

FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN

Hilir Henno – Men’s Volleyball

Senior Hilir Henno was named a first-team AVCA All-American for the third time in his career. He joined Michael Brinkley and Carson Clark as the only three-time first-team All-Americans in program history. Henno ended the year ranked second in the nation in points (5.47) and aces (.787) per set, and was third in kills per set (4.40). He was tabbed the AVCA National Player of the Week on March 31, and earned Big West Offensive Player of the Week honors five times in 2025. Henno, who was the 2024 AVCA National Player of the Year, closed out an illustrious career with 1,616 kills, and an NCAA all-time record tying 255 aces. The 6-foot-8 outside hitter also became one of only two players in Big West history to be a four-time first-team all-conference selection.

SECOND-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

Zharia Taylor – Women’s Track & Field
Junior Zharia Taylor tied for 16th in the women’s high jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships to earn second-team All-America distinction. Taylor easily cleared the opening height of 1.74 meters (5-8.5) on her first attempt. She then got over the bar at 1.79m (5-10.5) on her second try to put her in the top-16. The Long Beach native was the first Anteater on the women’s side to compete in the NCAA Championships since 2009, and the first to earn All-America honors since 1997. Taylor punched her ticket to nationals after tying for ninth at the NCAA West First Round with a personal-record 1.81m (5-11.25), which ranked second in program history. She was also the conference runner-up in the high jump, garnering an All-Big West nod and helping the ‘Eaters win the program’s first Big West Women’s Track & Field Championship.

Liam Miksic – Men’s Track & Field
Senior Liam Miksic closed out a decorated career with second-team All-America honors. Miksic delivered his second career 70-meter throw (70.13m/230-1) to finish 12th in the men’s javelin at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Spring Lake, New Jersey, native was a four-time NCAA regional qualifier and three-time Big West champion. He became only the third thrower in Big West history to win three consecutive conference titles in the men’s javelin, and was the first to accomplish the feat since 1989. He broke his own school record on his final throw at the Big West Championships, hitting 71.06m (233-1). Miksic earned his first career Big West Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award on April 8.

Nolan Flexen – Men’s Volleyball
Senior Nolan Flexen earned second-team AVCA All-America honors. Flexen had an impressive season, ranking among the top-10 in the Big West in kills (3.02) and points (3.68) per set. The 6-foot-9 outside hitter finished with a .297 hitting percentage, while also averaging 1.13 digs, 0.72 blocks and 0.28 aces per set. He had 14 double-digit kill performances and hit over .400 in a match seven times, including a career-best .643 (10-1-14) in a win over Daemen. Flexen was named the AVCA National Player of the Week on February 18, and was tabbed the Big West Offensive Player of the Week twice during the season. Flexen was also a first-team All-Big West selection.

THIRD-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

Lauren Hett – Women’s Water Polo
Sophomore Lauren Hett earned her first career All-America honor with a third-team nod. The attacker led UC Irvine in goals (67) and points (97). Her 67 goals ranked fifth in the Big West, and fourth in single-season school history. She had 13 hat tricks on the season, including a pair of career-high five-goal performances against No. 3 UCLA (Feb. 15) and No. 9 UC San Diego (March 8). Hett, a two-time Big West Player of the Week, received first-team all-conference distinction and was named to the Peter J. Cutino Award Watch List.

Ricky Ojeda – Baseball
In addition to being named the Big West Pitcher of the Year, Ricky Ojeda was tabbed a third-team All-American by Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). It was the second-straight year Ojeda earned national recognition as he was also a Freshman All-American in 2024. The left-handed reliever owned a 13-1 record with his 13 wins ranking second in the nation. He finished with 83 strikeouts and a 3.45 ERA in 66 innings pitched (29 appearances).

HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICANS

Luka Krstic – Men’s Water Polo
Junior Luka Krstic garnered All-America honorable mention recognition after finishing the season with 52 goals, 28 assists, 22 steals and 13 field blocks. The attacker totaled 80 points, which ranked first on the team and fourth in the Big West. Krstic was named to the All-Big West First Team for the second consecutive season. In addition, he led the conference with three Big West Player of the Week honors. Two of his weekly awards came after seven-goal performances in wins over No. 4 Pepperdine and No. 6 Long Beach State. Krstic is a two-time All-American.

Maxim Grigoriev – Men’s Volleyball
Junior Maxim Grigoriev received his second consecutive AVCA All-America honorable mention nod. The 6-foot-4 middle blocker ranked among the top-eight in the Big West in blocks (0.84) and aces (0.46) per set. He had a career-high 12 total blocks (2 solo) against USC, which was the second most in the country and tops in the conference this season. Grigoriev recorded four or more blocks eight times, and hit over .500 in 10 matches, including a season-high .667 twice in 2025. Grigoriev was a first-team All-Big West selection and was honored as the Big West Defensive Player of the Week on February 17.

William D’Arcy – Men’s Volleyball
Junior William D’Arcy was an AVCA All-America honorable mention selection. He was one of only five pin hitters to be ranked among the top-15 in the nation in hitting percentage with a .375 mark. D’Arcy, who started 17 matches, averaged 2.14 kills and 1.01 digs per set. He recorded double-digit kills on five occasions, including a career-high 21 in a win at UC Santa Barbara. D’Arcy was also a catalyst in a 3-0 road sweep of No. 1 Long Beach State as he hit .692 in the signature victory. 

Micah Goss – Men’s Volleyball
Micah Goss earned AVCA All-America honorable mention distinction in his first collegiate season. Goss, who was also an All-Big West Freshman Team selection, started every match, averaging 1.42 kills and 0.96 blocks per set. He recorded three or more blocks in 16 matches, including a career-high nine against BYU. 

Shane Aitken – Men’s Volleyball
Redshirt freshman Shane Aitken was named to the AVCA All-America Honorable Mention Team. The libero ranked eighth in the Big West with 1.48 digs per set. He had a career-best 13 digs in a win at UC Santa Barbara, and was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week (April 14) for that performance. Aitken also shined in serve receive with a .928 reception percentage.

ALL-REGION / ALL-DISTRICT

Jacob McCombs – Baseball

Ricky Ojeda – Baseball

Trevor Hansen – Baseball

Max Martin – Baseball

Bent Leuchten – Men’s Basketball

Devin Tillis – Men’s Basketball

Mario Anaya – Men’s Soccer

Mathias Winum – Men’s Soccer

Laila El Behery – Women’s Soccer

Emilie Castagna – Women’s Soccer

NCAA ALL-REGIONAL TEAM

Chase Call - Baseball

Jacob McCombs - Baseball

Ricky Ojeda - Baseball

Alonso Reyes – Baseball

NIT ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Justin Hohn – Men’s Basketball

Devin Tillis – Men’s Basketball

BIG WEST COACH OF THE YEAR

Ben Orloff – Baseball

Jeff Perkins – Women’s Track & Field

Mike Saunders – Men’s Tennis

BIG WEST FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Alona Avery – Women’s Golf

Angel Cordero – Men’s Track & Field

Jurian Dixon – Men’s Basketball

BIG WEST SPECIALTY AWARDS

Summah Hanson – Best Sixth Player – Women’s Basketball

BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP MVP

Jazzmine Davis – Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet

BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Trevor Hansen – Baseball

Jacob McCombs – Baseball

Blake Penso – Baseball

Bent Leuchten – Men’s Basketball

Devin Tillis – Men’s Basketball