ATHERTON, Calif. - Five Menlo College volleyball players earned national or regional accolades when a number of postseason honors were announced within the last week. Seniors Kelsey Bailey, Deborah Bekowies, Sarah Poole, and Stephanie Williamson, and junior Mia Ortiz were each selected for recognition as the NAIA and AVCA released their lists of honorees.
For the second consecutive season, Bekowies was an Honorable Mention NAIA All-American, NAIA Academic All-American Scholar-Athlete, and AVCA All-Southwest Region selection. The senior middle blocker was chosen to the All-California Pacific Conference team for the fourth time and earned the Cal Pac Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season. Bekowies' storied career culminates with her at the top of a number of Oaks career records. She is the program's all-time leader in kills, block assists, and total blocks, while ranking second in solo blocks and third in hitting percentage. Bekowies also has a 13 of the best single-season totals in kills, hitting percentage, solo blocks, and total blocks.
Williamson joins Bekowies as a NAIA Academic All-American Scholar-Athlete and AVCA All-Southwest Region selection while also earning the NAIA's Champions of Character distinguishment. Williamson enjoyed a fantastic senior season that very well could have netted her the Cal Pac's Player of the Year honor, though she was forced to settle for being an All-Cal Pac selection for the second consecutive season. She was also on the 2008 AVCA All-Southwest Region team with Bekowies. Williamson totaled 734 assists on the season, the fourth best single-season output in Menlo history, while moving to the top of the career list in the same category with 1,175 in just two years as an Oak. Her 82 career service aces ranks sixth all-time with her mark of 50 in 2008 the third highest single-season total.
Poole was selected to the ACVA All-Southwest Region team for the second consecutive season and earned her second straight inclusion on the All-Cal Pac team. A career Oak, Poole had her best season at Menlo, compiling 91 total blocks - good for fourth in school history - to go with 202 kills. The senior ends her career second in block assists, third in solo and total blocks, and fifth in kills. Poole has four of the 10 best seasons in program history when it comes to total blocks, and her 44 solo blocks in 2009 is the seventh highest single-season total.
Ortiz, Menlo's lone junior honoree, was selected to the AVCA All-Southwest Region team for the first time after leading the team in digs with 299. That total is good for ninth on the single-season list while Ortiz' 41 service aces ranks eighth. An All-Cal Pac selection, Ortiz will enter her senior season ranked fifth all-time in aces and 10th in digs.
Bailey was named a NAIA Academic All-American after finishing off her career on a high note. The versatile outside hitter finished fourth on the team with 146 kills and second in digs with 268. She totaled 264 kills and 370 digs in her two-year career, and was an Honorable Mention All-Cal Pac selection in 2009.
Menlo finished the season 12-0 in the Cal Pac and 17-10 overall, winning its second consecutive conference title after defeating Holy Names in the first ever California Pacific Conference Tournament. The Oaks have won 27 consecutive matches against conference opponents and earned their second straight trip to the NAIA National Championship.
During the four-year career of Bekowies and Poole, Menlo went 50-4 (.926) in Cal Pac play - all four losses came in 2007 - with three conference titles and three undefeated seasons. Each season ended in the NAIA's national tournament. The Oaks were 69-37 (.651) overall while holding a .737 winning percentage on their home court during that span.