Big West At A Glance

• Hawai’i (27-3) concluded the season at the 2012 NCAA Women’s Volleyball First & Second Rounds in Seattle, Wash. The Rainbow Wahine defeated Santa Clara, 3-0, in first round action before falling to host No. 13 Washington, 3-2, in the second round.  This marked the 20th consecutive trip, 31st overall, to the postseason for Hawai’i.

UH earned the Big West’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament after capturing its sixth league title with a perfect 18-0 record.  Hawai’i became the first Big West team to run the table since UC Santa Barbara in 2002.

• Hawai’i, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara received top honors with the announcement of the 2012 Big West Conference women’s volleyball annual awards.  The Rainbow Wahine are represented by Big West Volleyball Player of the Year Emily Hartong and Big West Co-Coach of the Year Dave Shoji, while 49ers skipper Brian Gimmillaro was named Big West Co-Coach of the Year and Gaucho Taylor Formico collected Big West Freshman of the Year accolades.

• On October 30, Hawai’i junior Emily Hartong was recognized as the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week .

• Cal State Northridge posted its first 20-plus win season since 1996 with a 21-10 mark.

• Kristin Winkler ends her four-year career with UC Irvine with 2,260 scoops, setting a new Big West record.  The senior libero surpassed the mark of 2,194 held by former Cal State Fullerton libero Cami Croteau (2007-10).

• Hawai’i Head Coach Dave Shoji currently owns 1,103 career wins and three more victories tie him with UCLA’s Andy Banachowski for first in the nation in career wins with a minimum 10 years as a Division I head coach since 1982.

• UC Santa Barbara freshman Taylor Formico owns the top spot in the Big West record book for season digs with 792.  She blew away the old record of 652 scoops set by former Gaucho Chelsey Lowe (2011).  UCSB now owns the top four spots in the Big West annals.

• The 2012 Big West Player of the Year, Hawai’i’s Emily Hartong, earned AVCA First-Team All-America status a week after being named to the AVCA All-West Region Team.  Hartong became the first Big West athlete to earn such an honor since Cal Poly’s Jennifer Keedy collected third team honors in 2010.  Pacific’s Jennifer Joines was the last conference player to earn first-team status back in 2003.

• Nine Big West athletes and one coach were named to the AVCA All-Region Team. Included on the AVCA All-West Region Team were 2012 Big West Volleyball Player of the Year Emily Hartong (Hawai’i), Casey Hinger (Cal State Northridge), Kayla Neto (Cal State Fullerton), Chisom Okpala (Long Beach State), Mita Uiato (Hawai’i) and Kristin Winkler (UC Irvine).  Earning honorable mention accolades were UC Santa Barbara’s Taylor Formico and Long Beach State’s Janisa Johnson and Tara Roenicke.  Formico, 2012 Big West Freshman of the Year, also picked up AVCA West Region Freshman of the Year accolades and Big West Coach of the Year Dave Shoji earned AVCA West Region Coach of the Year honors.