2021 All-PacWest Teams

IRVINE, Calif. – Excelling at their respective positions for Academy of Art volleyball, a trio of Urban Knights were recognized in Tuesday's announcement of Pacific West Conference postseason honors. Outside hitter Ashley Mecham was selected as the PacWest Freshman of the Year and garnered a place on the All-PacWest Second Team along with junior setter Picabo Reinhold and freshman libero Elena Torres.

"This is a great accomplishment for all three," said Head Coach Allen McCreary. "These three are what you need to be successful in the game of volleyball and to have them being honored by other conference coaches tells them the work they put in has paid off. The future is bright for ART U volleyball."

Much of the conference was introduced to the all-around talent Mecham brings this past fall. She finished the season as one of just five student-athletes in the PacWest to average more than 3.18 kills and 3.27 digs per set. The Kekaha, Hawaii native's 3.19 kills per set were the highest of any freshman and ranked eighth in the conference (sixth in conference-only matches). Along with the seventh-most points per set in the PacWest (3.60), she amassed a team-high 14 doubles-doubles (five in a row at one point) and her 3.28 digs per set were second only to Torres.

Among the PacWest leaders in kills per set throughout the season, Mecham posted double-digit kills in 16 of her 27 matches played. She fittingly achieved a season-high 22 kills in her home state of Hawaii on Nov. 6 against Chaminade. The Interior Architecture & Design major also surpassed 20 digs once, delivering a career-high 22 versus Point Loma on Sept. 18.

"Ashley, a six-rotation outside for us, was able to compete at a high level as a freshman and compete with the top teams in both the conference and West Region," McCreary said. "She was able to help take over a match if needed or was able to open the game up for her teammates. She has a great future at ART U and in the PacWest."

Challenging program records set by four-year Urban Knights in just three seasons, Reinhold served as a vital cog in ART U's machine this year. Completing her career by making 88 consecutive starts, the Communications & Media Technologies major was among the top two in the PacWest in assists per set all season and finished as the leader with a 10.63 average (fourth in West Region, 26th in NCAA Division II, and tied for the most in ART U single-season history) after posting 40 or more assists in half of her 28 matches in 2021. A major reason why ART U finished with the highest assists per set average (12.03) and kills per set average (12.81) in the program's single-season history, Reinhold's 10 double-doubles helped her end up among the top nine in several of Academy of Art's career categories including second in assists (2,872), third in service aces (95), and ninth in digs (781). She also offered the seventh-most service aces in the conference (35).

Reinhold broke the 50-assist barrier three times this season with a season-best 55 coming against Dominican on Oct. 29. Her season-high of 14 digs were combined with 54 assists versus Point Loma on Sept. 18 and one of the Paderborn, Germany native's best collective performances in her top three categories was on Oct. 16 when she totaled 45 assists, 10 digs, and a career-high five service aces in four sets at Fresno Pacific.

"Cobe, what can I say about her, she was the glue that kept us in matches; she loves the game and she loves to compete," McCreary said. "She likes to be challenged and, because of her size, she plays bigger than she is; she won't stop until she beats you. She will be missed dearly as she is my original first recruit to help turn ART U volleyball around and make us a competitive team in the PacWest."

Making an immediate impact in her first collegiate season, Torres assumed the team's starting libero position and never looked back. She finished with a digs per set average of 4.51 which ranked seventh in the PacWest (second among freshmen) and was 15th among NCAA DII freshmen. The native of Santa Ana, Calif. reached double-digit digs in 24 of her 27 matches and ended the year with the third-highest digs per set average and fifth-most digs (442) in ART U's single-season history.

One of Torres' biggest highlights of the year came on Sept. 22 when her 31 digs broke the Academy of Art program record for digs in a three-set match and ended up among the top two in PacWest history. She would earn PacWest Defender of the Week honors for an effort that bettered a record which had stood for over 10 years. The Fashion major's season-high was later tied when she again collected 31 digs in a four-set match with Concordia on Nov. 12.

"On our first day of practice this season, Elena came up to us and ask how she could be an All-PacWest Team player and, from that point, she made it her goal and she worked extremely hard at being the best libero she could be," McCreary said. "She has a great attitude for the game and is a great teammate. She also has a big future with ART U volleyball and she never settles; she always wants to be better."

These are the first All-PacWest Team honors for Mecham, Reinhold, and Torres' in their respective careers.