Senior setter Carson Lowden enjoyed a stellar season with the Aggies, leading her team to their most successful volleyball season in UC Davis’ short Division I history.
The Yuba City, Calif. native was a co-captain for the Aggies and one of the biggest reasons for her team’s impressive 20-win season and second place finish in the Big West.
Lowden moved into third place in the Aggies all-time assist leaders this season. She also received all-tournament recognition at three tournaments this year, receiving the honor at Washington State, Missouri State, and Nevada.
The stellar setter will be missed next season as the Aggies know it will be tough to replace Lowden.
– Kyle Hyland
Although the UC Davis water polo team finished two games under .500
and an unimpressive fifth-place in Western Water Polo Association play,
junior attacker Cory Lyle was a beacon of light through a season of
choppy waters.
The Carlsbad, Calif. native led the Aggies with an astonishing 32 goals, 22 more scores than he in the 2008 season.
With his speed and crafty nature in the water, Lyle constructed
numerous extraordinary games including two hat trick performances in
the WWPA conference tournament.
With eight goals total in his
final three games, Lyle earned a second-team All-WWPA nod. Lyle was one
of two Aggies to be named to an All-WWPA team thanks to his efficient
.432 shooting percentage over the season.
– Sammy Brasch
When the UC Davis football team needed someone to lead by example
on defense, senior middle linebacker Mike Morales stepped up his game.
The Los Altos, Calif. native made big plays when his team needed it the
most, including a memorable goal-line stand against national power
Boise State.
Working the middle of the field in the Aggies’ 4-3
zone blitz, Morales came up with a team-high 81 tackles including 4.5
tackles for a loss. He also had two interceptions.
Morales
provided senior leadership and helped guide an improved UC Davis unit
that ranked No. 1 in total defense in the Great West Conference.
For his performance this season, Morales was named Great West
Conference Player of the Week twice, Great West Defensive Player of the
Year and was named to the All-Great West first team.
– Richard Procter
Aggie libero Avreeta Singh has rewritten the UC Davis volleyball record books in her four-year career at Davis.
Midseason, she became the all-time digs leader for the Aggies and
finished the 2009 campaign with 1,831 digs in her career. She also
became the first Aggie to record 400 or more digs in each of her four
years at UC Davis.
The Fresno, Calif. native was one of the
main catalysts to the Aggies most successful season in Division I play.
Singh, a co-captain, helped the Aggies to an impressive 20-win season
and a tie for second place in the Big West conference. Her leadership
and presence will be missed on the court next year for the Aggies.
– Kyle Hyland
Sarah Sumpter made history in only her first year competing at the Division I level.
At the Big West Conference Championships on Oct. 31, the Cloverdale,
Calif. native became the first Aggie to win a Div. I individual cross
country title.
She came in with a season-best time of 20:34 in that 6K race.
Sumpter also helped lead the Aggie women at the Stanford Invitational, NCAA Pre-Nationals and NCAA West Region Championships.
Just a week before her history-making performance at the conference
championships, Sumpter was named Big West Female Athlete of the Year.
Sumpter also registered a third-place overall finish in a 5K race at the Hornet Jamboree in Sacramento on Sept. 12.
– Madeline Weeks
