University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo volleyball player Bria Beale was named the Pacific West Conference Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter carried a 4.0 grade point average through the spring semester in her graduate major of psychology and mental health counseling, and she had an undergraduate GPA of 3.90 in communication.
Beale is just the third Vulcan in school history to be named as a PacWest Scholar Athlete of the Year, joining Olivia Jarvis (2021 cross country) and Daelenn Tokunaga (2022 women’s soccer).
“Bria is the embodiment of a stellar student-athlete,” said Coach Chris Leonard. “Many excel in academics or athletics, but Bria is one of the few that I have had the privilege to work with that is truly elite in the classroom and on the court. This award is a testament to her hard work and is a well-deserved addition to her illustrious career at Hawaiʻi Hilo.”
Beale leaves the Vulcan program ranked second all-time in kills (1,311), third in digs (1,206) and fifth in aces (112).
In 2021 Beale was UH Hilo’s first-ever First Team Academic All-American (CoSIDA) and was an All-District Academic pick three different times. Lastly, she was a NCAA Woman of the Year Semifinalist last fall, one of just 10 student-athletes in Division II. As the PacWest representative, she advanced further in the process than any other student-athlete in UH Hilo history.
