Amanda Gil has transferred from UCLA, becoming the second member of the women’s volleyball team to leave this offseason. Freshman setter Lauren Cook already transferred to Nebraska.
Gil’s departure was never announced by UCLABruins.com, the athletic department’s official Web site, but she decided last week. Gil’s transfer is not related to coach Andy Banachowski’s announcement to retire Monday afternoon.
A sophomore middle blocker this past season for the Bruins, Gil earned AVCA Second-Team All-American honors and was the 2008 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.
The San Jose native who attended Archbishop Mitty High School is the second UCLA athlete from that school to transfer in the past two months. Mitty alumnus Drew Gordon left the men’s basketball team on Dec. 1, 2009.
Gil dominated the Pac-10 in blocks with 1.57 per set. The next highest in the conference was Stanford senior Janet Okogbaa with 1.26 blocks per set.
At 6 feet 6 inches, Gil was a powerful force in the middle for the Bruins and was one of the team’s most consistent hitters. Gil had 12 matches in double figures and had at least six kills in 19 of UCLA’s 33 matches.