Volleyball's
Bridgette Smith has been named Sacramento State's Female Student-Athlete of the Year…named first team all-Big Sky Conference for the fourth straight season, becoming the first player in program history to achieve the feat…named the Big Sky Tournament MVP after leading the Hornets to a tourney title and NCAA Tournament appearance…had a career-high 30 kills in the Big Sky Tournament championship match…led the Big Sky in kills (4.17 kps), aces (0.62 aps) and points (4.94 pps)…79 aces were the second best mark in the nation, and a new school record…28 matches with double-figure kills…finished career with second most kills (1,829) in school history…recently signed a pro contract to play in Finland.
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OTHER NOMINEES
Ava Fitzgerald (Track & Field) - The Big Sky champion in the indoor 60-hurdles and the outdoor 100-hurdles…qualified for the NCAA West First Round during the outdoor season…set the school outdoor record with a time of 13.34 in the Big Sky finals…ran the second leg of the 4x100 relay at the Causeway Dual which set the school record…set the school record in the 60-hurdles after running 8.41 at the Don Kirby Elite…finished in first place in the 60H in three meets, and second in another.
Kaylee Godwin (Rowing) - Named first team all-West Coast Conference as a sophomore…also named the Hornets' most improved rower…competed with the varsity eight (Hornets' top boat) in every spring race for the second straight year…sat at stroke with the varsity eight in each of the boat's final nine races of the season…stroked the V8 to a gold medal at the WIRA Championship, a first place finish at the Sacramento State Invitational, and a 10-second win over Kansas State at the Hornet Invite.
Emma Morgenthaler (Gymnastics) - Earned first team all-MPSF as an all-arounder…competed as an all-arounder in the final nine meets of the year…had an NQS of 39.025, was second on the team on floor, and third on vault, bars and beam…scored 39-plus in five consecutive meets with a high of 39.150…took the top spot on floor in four meets…hit 31 of her 32 routines during the year…was selected to compete in France as part of a team competition following the season…tied for first place on vault in that meet.
Izzy Palmatier (Soccer) - Named to the Big Sky Conference all-tournament team…an all-Big Sky selection…two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week selection…finished the year with a Big Sky-best 107 saves - the third-highest single-season total in school history…finished with seven shutouts - tied for fifth on the school's single-season list…ranked 13th in the nation in minutes, and 15th in total saves…allowed only two goals (0.54 GAA) and made 21 saves in 330 Big Sky Tournament minutes, facing 58 total shots.
Sneha Sharan (Golf) - Named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year and was a first team all-Big Sky selection for the second consecutive season…set the school single-season record by averaging 71.80 strokes per round in 30 rounds…became the first woman to break 72.00 in a season for the Hornets…finished the season even relative to par…placed in the top 20 in her final five tournaments of the season, and seven of her last eight…had 18 rounds of par or better which set the school single-season record.
Benthe Versteeg (Basketball) - A first team all-Big Sky Conference selection… also named Big Sky all-tournament…Big Sky all-defensive team…preseason all-Big Sky selection as well…the first Hornet to be named to a Big Sky all-tournament team twice in a career…tied her own school single-season record with 208 assists…averaged 12.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 6.5 apg…finished the year ranked ninth in the NCAA in total assists and fifth in assists per game… posted double-digit points in all but nine games…added five other double-doubles and a triple-double.
Reese Walker (Tennis) - Named the Big Sky Conference Tournament MVP…an all-Big Sky first team selection in singles, and a second team selection in doubles…clinched the tournament title with a straight-set win over Northern Arizona's Patrycja Niewiadomska, helping the Hornets avenge their only regular season conference loss of the year to the Lumberjacks…finished the year with a 17-5 record at the top three spots in the singles lineup, and was the only Hornet to post an unbeaten 8-0 record in Big Sky play…finished 12-3 in doubles, including an 8-1 mark at No. 3.
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AWARD TIMELINE
June 10 -
Female Freshman of the Year - Madison Evers-Lyles (Softball)
June 11 -
Male Freshman of the Year - Sean Battistessa (Soccer)
June 12 -
Female Newcomer of the Year - Lafulafu Malepeai (Softball)
June 13 -
Male Newcomer of the Year - Donovan Sessoms (Soccer)
June 14 -
Female Individual Performance of the Year - Zoe Ewell (Track & Field)
June 15 -
Male Individual Performance of the Year - Brandon Moreno (Track & Field)
June 16 -
Clutch Performance - Sierra Sonko (Women's Soccer)
June 17 -
Female Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Weronika Ejsmont (Tennis)
June 18 -
Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Kaden Richardson (Football)
June 19 -
Women's Academic Team of the Year - Golf
June 20 -
Men's Academic Team of the Year - Cross Country
June 21 -
SAAC Award - Emma Goldsmith (Rowing)
June 22 -
Female Team Performance of the Year - Tennis
June 23 -
Male Team Performance of the Year - Baseball
June 24 -
Team of the Year - Women's Golf
June 25 -
Coach of the Year - Reggie Christiansen (Baseball)
June 26 -
Female Hornet Award - Sneha Sharan (Golf)
June 27 -
Male Hornet Award - Miles Grant (Track & Field)
June 28 - Female Student-Athlete of the Year
June 29 - Male Student-Athlete of the Year