Bricio named Pac-12 Player of the Year


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The women’s volleyball team’s impressive 2015 season has resulted in seven players earning postseason recognition from the conference, as announced by Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott Tuesday. Senior outside hitter Samantha Bricio headlines the award winners after being voted the 2015 Pac-12 Player of the Year, while Mick Haley was voted Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the second time in five years.

In addition to Bricio, senior middle blocker Alicia Ogoms and sophomore opposite Brittany Abercrombie were each chosen to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team. Receiving all-conference honorable mention status were junior libero Taylor Whittingham, junior middle blocker Elise Ruddins, freshman outside hitter Alyse Ford and freshman setter Baylee Johnson. Furthermore, Ford and Johnson were named to the All-Freshman Team.

Bricio, a senior from Guadalajara, Mexico, is the third player in school history to be named Pac-12 Player of the Year and was named All-Conference for the fourth year in a row. She is also just the second Trojan to be named both Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year in her career. Bricio has had a record-breaking senior campaign after winning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week a league-record six times, becoming the first Trojan and the seventh player in league history to record 2,000 career kills, and becoming USC’s all-time leader in attacks, kills, service aces and points. In 2015, she currently leads the nation in points (6.18 pps) and service aces (0.73 saps).

Mick Haley earns his second Pac-12 Coach of the Year award in five years (2011) after leading USC to a 30-2 record this season. After going 16-16 in 2014, Haley completely revamped the offense and brought USC to the top of the national rankings after starting out ranked No. 22 in the preseason. Under Haley’s direction, USC earned a share of the conference title and the top national seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Joining Bricio on the  All-Pac-12 team for the first time are Ogoms and Abercrombie. Both players have had the best seasons of their careers, setting new marks in nearly every statistical category this year. Ogoms, who received honorable mention status last season, currently leads the league in blocks (163 total) and is second in hitting percentage (.415), while sophomore Abercrombie has burst onto the scene as one of the best right-side hitters in the conference, averaging 2.44 kills per set.

Ruddins and Whittingham have also had solid junior seasons for the Women of Troy and earned Pac-12 honorable mention. Both Orange County natives, Ruddins finished third in the conference for hitting percentage (.398) while Whittingham led the league in digs (4.73).

In their first seasons donning the cardinal and gold, freshmen Alyse Ford and Baylee Johnson were named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. Ford is another Orange County product and is the team’s second-leading point scorer with 2.66 kills per set, while Johnson is a six-rotation setter and hitter that ranks ninth in the league with 7.11 assists per set. The Dayton, Ohio, native is a stat sheet filler with her all-around play and leads USC with 16 double-doubles this season.

All in all, the Trojans now hold 92 all-league recognitions since 1977. After earning the top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, No. 2-ranked USC (30-2) will host Horizon League champion Cleveland State (26-6) at the Galen Center in the first round of the tournament Thursday at 7:30 p.m.