Sarah Noriega

Sarah Beth Noriega (Sulentor) (born April 24, 1976) is an American former volleyball player, a collegiate champion, and an Olympic athlete.

Early life Noriega graduated in 1994 from Ulysses High School, in the small town of Ulysses, Kansas. There, she played on the volleyball team under coach Courtney Eslick, who described her as the best athlete he had ever coached. Though her high school team did not win any major championships, Noriega became a three-time WAC all-conference athlete, and, while playing for Ulysses High School, was a two-time all-state selection. She helped win Program-of-the-Year honors for her school for the 1992–93 season from the Kansas Volleyball Association. With her as a starting player, her team defeated the teams from China, Kenya and Croatia before facing the Australia team - with Noriega, by then, having competed in 108 international competitions and three world championships. Noreiga also participated in the USA defeat of teams from South Korea and Australia; however, two losses to Brazil and one to Russia pushed the team just outside the medals, ranking fourth in the 2000 Olympics.

Honors and awards Collegiate 1997 West Coast Conference (WCC) Player of the Year 1997–98 school year: LMU's Female Athlete of the Year All-District VIII honoree (three times) AVCA First Team All-American Volleyball Magazine All-American 1998 (February) Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Month All-West Coast Conference First Team selection (three-time) 2007 (October 13) fifth volleyball player in LMU history to have her number retired 2009 Loyola Marymount Hall of Fame

Other 2000 U.S. Olympian 2012 Kansas Volleyball Association Hall of Fame

Records and stats NCAA records: Most kills in a four-set match (47 kills on November 7, 1997, against San Diego) 1997-1998 Senior year: 614 kills, and led the nation with a kill average of 6.90

Loyola Marymount rankings, as of 2009: second in kill average (4.71) third in attack percentage (.319) third in one-year kills (614) third in one-year kill average (6.90) fourth all-time in kills (1,446)

Extensive details on her performance stats are found at the Loyola Marymount Lions website, in the article about her induction to the LMU Hall of Fame.