ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – The most successful regular season in school history led to widespread recognition for the Vanguard women's volleyball team as the Golden State Athletic Conference announced its honor roll on Wednesday.
Morgan Cole earned GSAC Co-Player of the Year accolades, Kayla Robinson captured the Freshman of the Year award, and Jennifer Dorn claimed the Coach of the Year honor.
In addition, the Lions led all GSAC schools with a program record four all-conference selections – Cole, Bailey Olbur, Callie Bickmore and Rachel Lim.
Cole, a sophomore outside hitter, shared the Player of the Year award with Life Pacific's Hannah Caddow. Cole averaged 3.30 kills, 3.13 digs and 0.27 service aces per set while hitting .192 through 25 matches. She ranked third in the GSAC in kills and points per set (3.80).
The Bakersfield native registered double-digit kills 19 times, including a career-high 21 against Saint Katherine and College of Idaho. She also posted double-digit digs on 15 occasions, topping out with a career-best against Hope International on September 8. She contributed 12 double-doubles, including an 11-kill, 12-dig performance versus Life Pacific on Senior Day.
Cole claimed All-GSAC distinction for the second straight year and added to her trophy case after being named the GSAC Freshman of the Year in 2022.
Robinson, a middle blocker, joined Cole and Grace Fonville (2019) as the third player in the last five seasons to be named the GSAC's top freshman. She was one of two Lions to hit above .300, finishing the regular season at .329 with 103 kills and just 32 errors in 216 attempts. Robinson was also a force at the net with a team second-best 66 total blocks. Her 0.79 blocks per set average ranked No. 7 in the GSAC.
The Thousand Oaks native hit .300 or better in a match 13 times, and she posted a career-high seven blocks against Arizona Christian in the regular season finale. She also had six blocks in an early season win over then-No. 20 Southern Oregon.
Dorn received her first Coach of the Year award after leading the Lions to a 24-1 record and a perfect 14-0 trip through GSAC play. It marked the first time in school history that the Lions went undefeated in conference play, representing the program's second GSAC regular season title. The seventh-year head coach guided the Lions to a school record 22-match winning streak with the only loss coming to then-No. 2 Corban.
The Lions are ranked No. 11 in the country under Dorn's watch, and dropped just six sets in conference play with eight of the 14 wins coming by sweep. The school's career record holder with 138 victories, she led the Blue and Gold to their fourth 20-win campaign during her tenure, and the No. 1 seed in the GSAC Tournament.
Olbur recovered from a season-ending injury in 2022 with an impressive comeback this season. The senior middle blocker led the GSAC with a .348 hitting percentage and ranked second among conference players with 1.00 blocks per set. Her 86 total blocks was No. 1 in the GSAC. She hit .300 or better in 17 contests, finishing with an incredible .917 (11-0-12) performance at OUAZ on October 27.
Bickmore joined Olbur as first-time all-conference honorees. The graduate student averaged 2.44 kills and 0.65 blocks per set while hitting .256 from her outside hitter position. She ranked eighth in the GSAC in hitting percentage and 10th in kills while finishing just outside of the conference top-10 in blocks.
Hailing from Auburn, Calif., Bickmore tallied a career-high 14 kills on .406 hitting versus Hope International on September 8. She amassed 10 or more kills in five of the last seven contests. In conference play, she swung at a clip of .300 or better in seven matches.
Lim also secured her first career all-conference honor after helping the Lions lead the GSAC with a .237 team hitting percentage. She ranked third in the GSAC with 6.47 assists per set, dishing out a season-best 32 assists three times – La Sierra (8/22), Saint Katherine (8/25) and Hope International (9/8). The La Palma native helped the Lions win 22 consecutive sets at one point during GSAC play, starting the streak with a 31-assist effort at Life Pacific.
The junior was a solid server, ranking fourth on the team with 28 aces. Defensively, she also ranked fourth on the squad with 1.91 digs per set.
The Lions return to action this Friday in the GSAC Tournament semifinals against an opponent to be determined.
