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Headlined by Cal Poly tandem, Ella Connor and Izzy Martinez, the All-Big West Beach Volleyball Team has been announced in advance of the start of the 2024 National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship, as voted on by the league’s seven head coaches.  

The 2024 All-Big West first team consists of two pairs each from The Big West’s three national postseason participants. 

Connor, a redshirt sophomore from Kihei, Maui, and partner Martinez, a sophomore from Winnetka, Calif., are The Big West Pairs Team of the Year. Heading into the national postseason, Connor and Martinez have compiled a 25-8 record on the year and won two of their three dual points at The Big West Championship. The duo is the third Cal Poly pairing to take home the top honors in the conference, joining Crissy Jones and Tia Miric in 2019, and 2021 winners Emily Sonny and Macy Gordon. Connor, the 2022 Freshman of the Year, sports an overall record of 52-20 on the sand in two seasons for the Mustangs. 

Freshman Erin Inskeep has been named 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year, with a 30-5 overall record this season. Inskeep joins Connor as the only first-year honorees for the Mustangs. The product of Hermosa Beach, Calif., has been partnered with junior Piper Ferch for all but two matches of the season, Connor and Ferch, a junior from Redmond, Wash., have compiled a 28-5 record primarily playing from the No. 2 position. The pairing has won nine of their last 10 matches and join Connor and Martinez on the All-Big West first team.  

Connor, Martinez and Ferch have all been named to the first team previously, with this marking Ferch’s third consecutive nod. 

Hawai’i top tandem of Jaime Santer and Alana Embry led the way all season for the Big West champion Rainbow Wahine to claim first-team honors. Santer and Embry enter the postseason with a 24-11 mark and won 16 of their matches in two-set affairs. For Santer, a senior from Toronto, Canada, this marks a third overall All-Big West selection, but the first time landing on the top team.

Playing from the No. 4 position in the UH lineup, the pair of Riley Wagoner and Sydney Amiatu earned first-team distinction as well. For Wagoner, a senior from Dublin, Ohio, this marks a first time on the first team, but third Big West career nod. Playing with Amiatu, a redshirt freshman from Oceanside, Calif., the pair were matched up together in all but one dual this season, with 27 of their 34 matches at the No. 4 court where they have gone a stellar 21-6 (.778). Among their wins was the dual match clincher against Long Beach State in the 2024 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship that sealed UH's first conference title in six years.   

For Long Beach State, last year’s Big West Co-Freshmen of the Year Malia Gememtera and Taylor Hagenah earn a second consecutive first-team selection. Primarily playing from Court 1, the pair has a 27-10 overall record on the year with just two matches from No. 2 position. Gementera (Chula Vista, Calif.) and Hagenah (Oceanside, Calif.) have an impressive 61-16 record as a duo in two seasons on the sand together. The total number of wins is tied for the LBSU program record.  

Rounding out the first-team honorees is Long Beach State’s Savannah Standage and Julia Westby. Playing exclusively from Court 2, the sophomore tandem has a 21-6 record together, and have earned wins in nine of their last 10 matches heading into the national postseason.

The second team sees five teams represented. Piper Naess and Logan Walter dot the list and with two honorable mention selections for the Mustangs, five pairs earned distinction. Long Beach State’s Mo Gibson and Natalie Glenn also earned the second-team nod, along with Cal State Bakersfield Vivi Kaelin and Ella Erteltova, MayaMay Brown and Gabriela Griego of CSUN and UC Davis duo Colleen McGuire and Kyle Miller. McGuire and Miller were first team selections a year ago and Griego is earning a back-to-back second team honors.  

Coach of the Year distinction is shared between Evan Silberstein of Hawai'i and Todd Rogers of Cal Poly. The award is the second for Silberstein after guiding the 'Bows to The Big West tile. For Rogers, this marks a fourth career nod as the Mustangs earned the No. 5 seed in the NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship bracket.

 

The Big West 2024 Beach Volleyball All-Conference Team
Pairs Team of the Year: Ella Connor & Izzy Martinez, Cal Poly  Freshman of the Year: Erin Inskeep, Cal Poly  Co-Coach of the Year: Todd Rogers, Cal Poly & Evan Silberstein, Hawai’i
2024 All-Big West First Team
Pair	Year	Institution	Hometown
Ella Connor & Izzy Martinez	R-So./So.	Cal Poly	Kihei, Maui / Winnetka, Calif.
Piper Ferch & Erin Inskeep	Jr./Fr.	Cal Poly	Redmond, Wash. / Hermosa Beach, Calif.
Jaime Santer & Alana Embry	Sr./So.	Hawai’i	Toronto, Canada / Poway, Calif.
Riley Wagoner & Sydney Amiatu	Sr./R-Fr.	Hawai’i	Dublin, Ohio / Oceanside, Calif.
Malia Gementera & Taylor Hagenah	So./So.	Long Beach State	Chula Vista, Calif. /   Oceanside, Calif.
Savannah Standage & Julia Westby	So./So.	Long Beach State	Redondo Beach, Calif. / Oceanside, Calif.
All-Big West Second Team
Pair	Year	Institution	Hometown
Piper Naess & Logan Walter	Sr./Fr.	Cal Poly	San Mateo, Calif. / Laguna Beach, Calif.
Vivi Kaelin & Ella Erteltova	Fr./Jr.	Cal State Bakersfield	Lake Oswego, Ore. / Zilina, Slovakia
MayaMay Brown & Gabriela Griego	So./R-Sr.	CSUN	Wichita, Kan. / Corona, Calif.
Mo Gibson & Natalie Glenn	So./So.	Long Beach State	San Diego, Calif. / Southlake, Texas
Colleen McGuire & Kylie Miller	Sr./Jr.	UC Davis	Naperville, Ill. / San Diego, Calif.
Honorable Mention:  Quinn Perry & Lindsey Sparks (Cal Poly); Abbey Reinard & Madi Nichols (Cal Poly); Ella Ensign & Kaia Fanshier (Cal State Bakersfield); Kaylee Glagau & Pani Napoleon (Hawai’i); Sydney Miller & Anna Maidment (Hawai’i); Megan Widener & Christine Deroos (Long Beach State); Morgan Coolbaugh & Lindsay Heller (UC Davis); Caitlin Volkmann & Greta Davis (Sacramento State); Kalani Hayes & Ellie Tisko (Sacramento State)