Pepperdine University Athletics

AWARDS:
All-WCC first team – 2018
WCC Player of the Week – (10/15/18)
 
PEPPERDINE CAREER: In two years wearing the blue and orange, Sato played in 52 total matches, starting in 50 of them and seeing time in 185 sets … Sato made an immediate impact and continued on to total 1,915 total assists, averaging 10.35 assists/set, while also picking up 452 digs for 2.44 digs/set for her team … She also amassed 63 total smashes on a .214 clip, averaging 0.34 kills/set … Posted 42 aces for 0.23 aces/set and 57 blocks with three solo rejections for 0.31 blocks/set … She earned 17 double-double matches in assists/digs … Posted a career-high 59 aces against Idaho (8/31/18), 24 digs at Santa Clara (11/9/17), three aces two times against Utah Valley 8/25/17 and at Pacific (11/3/18) and four blocks twice, at San Diego (11/20/18) and against Pacific (10/4/18).
 
PEPPERDINE 2018: In her senior campaign with the Waves, she played and started in all 31 matches, not missing a single set of action with 111 sets played … She marked 42 total kills (0.38 k/s) on a .185 clip, while adding 25 aces (0.23 sa/s), 237 digs (2.14 d/) and 36 total blocks with one solo (0.32 b/s) … She impressed with 1,194 assists on 2,985 total attempts for a .400 assist percentage, while finishing the season with 85.5 total points for 0.77 points/set … Put up seven matches with double-doubles featuring double-figure digs and assists … Led the Waves in assists in all but one match (30), aces in five and digs and blocks once … Marked a season-high 59 assists versus Idaho (8/31/18), four blocks twice with the most recent occasion being against San Diego (11/20/18) and three aces at Pacific (11/3/18).
 
PEPPERDINE 2017: In her first season with the Waves, started 19 matches while playing in 21 matches and 74 total sets … Led the team with 721 total assists and 9.74 assists/set as the primary setter … Also posted 215 digs to average 2.91 digs/set … Averaged 0.28 kills/set (21 kills) and blocks/set (21 blocks, 2 solos) and 0.23 aces/set (17 aces) … Finished the season with 49.5 points to average 0.67 points/set … Led the team in assists in 18 matches, aces in three and digs in two … Tallied 10 matches with double-doubles for assists and digs and had one match with over 20 digs … Posted a season-best 54 assists and three aces against Utah Valley (Aug. 25) and 24 digs at Santa Clara (Nov. 9) … Marked a season-high four kills at San Jose State (Aug. 25) and three blocks twice at Pacific (Oct. 28) and against Northeastern (Aug. 31).
 
MISSISSIPPI STATE: Played two seasons at SEC’s Mississippi State University under Head Coach David Mcfatrich in Starkville, Miss. … Tabbed 1,840 career assists which ranks 7^th in the MSU record books … Tabbed a career-high 58 assists vs. Arkansas on November 20 in her sophomore season … Amassed 872 assists in her freshman campaign which stands as the fourth-most in a single season in school history by a Bulldog freshman … In her freshman season, earned 25-plus assists in 20 matches, and 40-plus in six matches … In her sophomore campaign, marked 968 assists throughout the season to average 7.87 assists/set.
 
CLUB: Played for Mizuno Long Beach from 2012-14 and Sunshine Volleyball Club from 2014-15 … In 2015, garnered Pacific Northwest Junior National Qualifier Dream Team honors.
 
HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, Calif. in 2015 … Lettered four seasons as a setter in the Ocean League (CIF-SS) under Head Coach Liane Sato with SMHS … Garnered AVCA High School All-American honors in 2014 … Named to AVCA Phenom Watch List in 2013 and to PrepVolley.com’s Top 50 High School Freshman list in 2011 … Three-time CIF Southern Section first team honoree … Two-time Ocean League Most Valuable Player selection … Ocean League Most Outstanding Player in 2015 … Three-time Ocean League top-assist leader … SMHS honor roll for four consecutive seasons.
 
PERSONAL: Daughter of Liane Sato … Plans to major in Intercultural Communications at Pepperdine … Her mother Liane Sato was a member of the US Women’s National Volleyball Team in 1988 and 1992 when the team captured the bronze medal … Her uncles Eric and Gary were also standouts in the sport, playing or coaching alongside legendary Pepperdine men’s volleyball coach Marv Dunphy for Team USA when the squad won the gold in 1988 – Eric was a member of the 1988 US Men’s National Team that claimed gold and the 1992 squad that earned bronze and Gary (now an assistant for USC) served as the United States’ Head Coach for the 1985 FIVB World Cup gold medal finish and served as an assistant for the US Men’s National Team from 1984-88, 1992 and from 2009-12 … State she “chose Pepperdine because of the girls on the team and the coaching staff and how they all love and support one another tremendously. [She] could really feel at home at Pepperdine.”
 
FAVORITES: Kobe Bryant (pro athlete) … To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (book) … Mean Girls (movie) … Friends (TV show) … Michael Jackson (musical artist) … sushi (food) … basketball (sport other than volleyball) … Favorite pastimes include going to the beach, traveling and exploring different cultures.