SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After being named a unanimous first team all-Big Sky Conference selection and Big Sky Tournament Most Valuable Player, Sacramento State senior outside hitter Sandra Bandimere added to her list of accomplishments by being named honorable mention all-Pacific Region by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).Bandimere becomes the second Hornet in as many years to earn all-region honors (Lisa Beauchene in 2003) and the third player since the 1995 season (Jill Haas earned the honor in 1995). The award caps off a season for Bandimere in which she was also named Big Sky Player of the Week on two occasions, Sacramento State Invitational MVP, Nanook Volleyball Classic MVP, and all-tournament at the Cal Poly Invitational.
The all-Pacific Region first team consisted of 12 student-athletes with six others named honorable mention. The Pacific Region contains many teams on the West Coast, including volleyball powers Washington, USC, Saint Mary’s, Stanford, San Diego, Santa Clara, Arizona and UCLA.
The Roseville, Calif., native finished the season with a team-leading 500 kills and 468 digs, becoming the first Hornet to record 500 kills in a season since 1999 when Angela Lewis had 561. Her 468 digs tied for the ninth-best single-season mark in program history. In addition, Bandimere became just the second Hornet in the last four years to tally at least 400 kills and 400 digs in the same season.
Among Big Sky leaders this season, the three-time all-conference selection was second in double-doubles (21) and 20-plus kill matches (eight), tied for second in 20-plus dig matches (seven), third in kills (4.31 per game) and sixth in digs (4.03 per game). She led or tied for the team lead in kills in 25 matches, and had double figures in kills in all but seven contests.
Against Portland State on Nov. 6, the team captain posted a career-high 36 kills, the most by a Sacramento State player sine the 1996 season, and the second-best mark in the program’s Div. I history (1991-pres.). Bandimere’s number of kills and digs went up every season during her four-year tenure with the program.
During her career, Bandimere played in 121 matches (including 99 starts) and started nearly every contest during her final three seasons. In the program’s career record books, Bandimere ranks fifth all-time with 1,456 kills. As a freshman, she tallied 33 kills and followed that up with 428 during her sophomore season. As a junior, she finished with 495 before capping off her senior season with 500.
