April 10, 2007

Santa Barbara, Calif. - For the second consecutive week, UC Santa Barbara men's volleyball player Evan Patak has been named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Player of the Week. Patak recorded his 2,000th career kill to help lead the Gauchos to a sweep over Cal State Northridge.

Patak posted a match-high 25 kills in the league win against the Matadors on April 6. Currently, the senior opposite hitter has 2,012 kills and is just the second Gaucho in school history to accomplish the feat. He ranks second on UCSB's all-time kills list behind Donny Harris, who totaled 2,114 between 1994 and 1997.

Patak, who leads the country in kills, service aces, and points, shares this week's honor with Lauri Hakala, a senior outside hitter from the University of Hawai'i.

It is the fourth time this season that Patak has garnered the award and he is the only player in the league to receive it more than once.

UCSB (18-10, 13-7 MPSF) has already clinched a spot in the MPSF Tournament and needs one win with two regular season matches remaining in order to host a quarterfinal. The fifth-ranked Gauchos play at No. 12 USC on April 11 and at No. 1 Pepperdine on April 14.

--www.ucsbgauchos.com--