IRVINE, Calif. – After a standout debut season, Gabi Martinez has been named the 2025 Big West Freshman of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday. Three additional Gauchos – Layanna Green, Eva Travis, and Jordyn Johnson – have also earned all-conference honors after leading the Gauchos to a dominant regular season on the court.
Martinez made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season, also securing All-Big West First Team honors and a spot on the All-Big West Freshman Team. The outside hitter from Katy, Texas, earned Big West Freshman of the Week three times this season and is the second consecutive Big West Freshman of the Year from UC Santa Barbara.
Martinez has repeatedly led the Gaucho offense, averaging 15.4 kills per match in the last ten outings and registering a career-high of 19 kills against CSUN. She also got it done on defense, scoring a career-best five blocks versus UC San Diego and scooping double-digit digs on four occasions. With her growth, consistency, and competitive edge, she is sure to remain a major asset for the Gauchos in the seasons ahead.
Middle blocker Layanna Green also received All-Big West First Team Honors. She has spent the season being the most efficient hitter in the league, ranking first in the Big West and 13th in the nation in hitting percentage, at .425. This season, she posted a season-high 14 kills, 17 points, and a .700 hit percentage against Cal Poly, a career-high of nine block assists against UC San Diego, and earned a spot on the Dayton Flyer Invitational All-Tournament Team. Green ended the regular season with an average of 3.6 blocks per match.
Outside hitter and 2024 Big West Freshman of the Year Eva Travis continued to shine this season, earning All-Big West Second Team honors. She was selected to the All-Big West Preseason Team and named to the Trojan Invitational All-Tournament Team, reinforcing her status as one of Santa Barbara's key offensive players. She was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 25, after delivering 30 kills over UC Irvine, a career-high and the highest kill count of any Big West player this season. She has sat atop the Big West kill and point rankings for the entirety of the season and has averaged 14 kills per match.
Freshman middle blocker Jordyn Johnson made a strong impression with her debut season, earning an All-Big West Honorable Mention recognition and a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Johnson leads the Big West in solo blocks at 21 and is tenth in blocks per set with 0.99. The Minnesotan also posted a .389 hitting percentage. She recorded a career-high 11 kills against Cal Poly, a career-high 7 blocks against UC Irvine, and 10.5 points at Hawai'i. With her athleticism and timing at the net, Johnson has quickly become a dominant presence on the court for the Gauchos.
POSTSEASON
On November 26th, Women's Volleyball will head down to Long Beach to compete in the 2025 Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship, presented by the Hawaiian Islands. Over the three-day tournament, the top six Big West teams will battle inside the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid for a spot in the championship match on Saturday, November 29th.
Santa Barbara will act as the No. 4 seed and take on No. 5 CSUN at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26. The Gauchos have defeated the Matadors twice this season, going 3-1 and 3-0, and lead in the all-time series 44-9.
