Westmont senior Samantha Neely has been selected as the 2018 Golden State Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Year.
Joining her on the All-GSAC team are senior setter Amy Buffham and junior Cassidy Rea. Ruth McGolpin was also honored by the GSAC as the Assistant Coach of the Year.
Neely, an outside hitter, moved to middle blocker after two-time All-American Libby Dahlberg was injured in a game at Hope International. Though she never played middle blocker in college, Neely successfully made the transition.
Neely led the GSAC in attack percentage with a .356 average (216 kills on 475 attempts with 47 errors), was third in kills per set at 3.38 and seventh in blocks at 0.80 per set.
“I am tremendously happy that Sam has received this honor,” said Westmont head coach Patti Cook. “She has worked very hard to get to this point and I am thrilled that the conference coaches caught a glimpse of what I get to see every day. She is extremely tough to stop on offense and her blocking ability is phenomenal. Beyond that, she is an amazing teammate, very successful in the classroom and a high character individual.”
This is the third year in a row that Westmont has won the Player of the Year award. Dahlberg received the award each of the last two seasons.
Buffham also had to make a mid-season transition when the offense moved from a 6-2 scheme (two-setter) to a 5-1 approach (one setter). Buffham adapted seamlessly to the new system and led the GSAC with 10.28 assists per set.
“Her transition from a 6-2 to a 5-1 really opened up her athleticism and creativity in running the offense,” Cook said. “She has such a big presence on the floor and leads with passion and determination.”
Rea finished third in hitting percentage in the GSAC, posting a .313 average (170 kills on 403 attempts with 44 errors). Her 2.70 kills per set was 11th in the conference.
“Cassidy is an absolute beast on the right side,” expressed Cook. “She utilizes her 6-3 frame to bring the thunder when she gets set. She has very good court vision and her competitive drive is one of the highest on the team.”
Westmont, ranked at No. 15 in the NAIA, received an at-large berth in the NAIA National Championship and a first-round bye.
After Thanksgiving, the Warriors will travel to Sioux City, Iowa, where they begin a quest for a national championship on Tuesday, Nov. 27.