CBU Produces Four All-PacWest Players for Three Years in a Row
By Andrew Shortall
Community Writer
12/03/2015 at 09:45 AM
Community Writer
12/03/2015 at 09:45 AM
After capturing its highest finish in the PacWest this season, California Baptist University reaped its fair share of all-conference rewards when they were released on Tuesday.
Four Lancers earned recognition, with one at each level, to tie a program-high for All-PacWest honorees for the third year in a row. CBU finished the regular season with a 21-7, 14-6 in conference record for its best-ever finish in the PacWest and first 20-plus win season since 2011 when it was an NAIA member.
Tuesday's announcement made Lauren Hackett and Jordyn Siko back-to-back recipients of PacWest awards, while Jenna Perry and Abbie Gortsema tallied their first such distinctions.
Hackett -- the reigning Freshman of the Year in the PacWest, West Region and NCAA Division II overall as determined by the AVCA -- earned first-team conference honors for the second year in a row. She is the second Lancer to earn two first-team nods in the PacWest. Ingrid Carmona was a two-time first-team selection in 2011 and 2012.
With 418 kills, the sophomore was one of the most feared attackers not only in the conference but division overall. She ended the regular season ranked 22nd in points per set (4.60), 28th in kills per set (3.98) and 44th in total kills. She also tied for the team high in service aces (26), was second in digs (262, 2.50) and added 67 blocks.
Perry gave the Lancers' offense two premiere hitters on both ends of the net. The junior opposite hitter amassed 354 kills (3.37) on a .285 percentage, and produced the second-most blocks on the team with 95 (0.90). In the PacWest, the junior ranked in the top-11 in a number of categories: seventh in total blocks, eighth in hitting percentage, 10th in blocks per set and 11th in total kills.
Siko continued her all-around play in her final collegiate season to earn third-team conference distinction, despite battling through injuries once again for the Lancers. With her setting up the offense, CBU's .245 hitting percentage ranked 19th in Division II and first in the PacWest. She ranked 40th in the division in assists per set (10.51) and 71st in total assists (1,062). She had 254 digs (2.51 a set), 59 blocks, 24 aces and 73 kills on a .373 percentage. The 2014 PacWest second-teamer recorded a team-high 12 double-doubles this season.
The Chino Hills native exits the Van Dyne Gym as one of the best setters to come through the storied program. Siko's career numbers of 3,020 assists and 9.06 assists per set rank second since in program history for the Lancers since the rally-scoring era began, even though she was limited by injuries throughout her career.
CBU ended the season ranked first in the PacWest and third in the division in blocks per set (2.82) thanks in large part to Gortsema. The junior transfer put on one of the best blocking seasons in program history. She finished ranked first in the PacWest in both blocks per set (1.34) and total blocks (141), which sat 11th and 15th in the NCAA, respectively. The East Grand Rapids, Mich. native also had 166 kills (1.58 a set) on a .291 percentage.