Rubenstein caps Pepperdine career with prestigious honor

Photo courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics STANDOUT—Julie Rubenstein entered Pepperdine University as a highly touted volleyball player from Oaks Christian. Several years later, she leaves the Waves as one of the program's all-time greats. Julie Rubenstein, a recent Pepperdine graduate and a fouryear standout with the women's volleyball team, won the 2009 Mike Gilleran Award as the West Coast Conference's top female scholar-athlete.

Rubenstein, a Camarillo native and Oaks Christian graduate, finished one of the best careers in Pepperdine history in 2008.

She was named to the AVCA AllAmerican third team as a senior and earned All-West Coast Conference honors in each of her four seasons, including the last three on the first team.

She was selected to the AVCA All-Pacific Region first team for the first time in '08.

Rubenstein was also voted Pepperdine's Female StudentAthlete of the Year for 2007-08.

Rubenstein led the WCC in kills (4.42) and points (5.14) per set as a senior.

She finished her Pepperdine career third all-time with 1,743 kills, third with 2,064 points, fifth with 4.12 kills per set and fifth with 116 service aces.

In addition, she never missed a set in her fouryear career, playing 423 in all. She helped Pepperdine to NCAA Tournament appearances all four seasons.

A standout in the classroom, Rubenstein is a three-time WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient, a threetime WCC AllAcademic selection and a two-time CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honoree.

She carries a nearly 3.6 gradepoint average and graduated with a degree in liberal arts.

Rubenstein was Pepperdine's first representative on the NCAA's StudentAthlete Advisory Committee, the WCC SAAC chair and a co-chair of the school's SAAC.

Her community service record includes volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and the Boys & Girls Club.

The Mike Gilleran Award is named after the former commissioner of the WCC. It is the highest honor in the WCC, and it is selected by a vote of the WCC's institutional representatives to recognize the finest accomplishments in athletics, academics and community service by individuals who have completed their WCC eligibility.

The 2009 men's award was won by Gregory Moss, a golfer from Loyola Marymount.

"The West Coast Conference member institutions' mission is to promote the ideals of leadership not only on the field, but also within the classroom and in the community," said WCC Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich.

"Gregory and Julie have exhibited those characteristics throughout their college careers, and I am proud to recognize them as this year's scholar-athletes."

Rubenstein is the second Pepperdine female to claim the WCC's Scholar-Athlete Award, joining women's golfer Katherine Hull in 2003. Pepperdine men have been honored five times.