June 13, 2006
TACOMA, Wash. – Volleyball assistant coach Lisa Beauchene, a former Sacramento State setter and Big Sky Conference Volleyball Most Valuable Player, was inducted into the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame June 2 in a ceremony at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.
Beauchene, who prepped at Fife High School in Tacoma, Wash., is one of a number of Tacoma-area athletes who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Tacoma Athletic Commission, including former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Paul Skansi.
Currently entering her second season as an assistant volleyball coach at New Mexico, Beauchene established herself as one of the top players in Sacramento State history (2000-03). She was a four-time all-Big Sky selection, including a three-time unanimous first team choice, and the league’s MVP during her senior season. The Auburn, Wash., native also became the first player in conference history to be named Big Sky Tournament MVP on three occasions. In addition, Beauchene received AVCA All-Pacific Region honors in 2003, becoming the first Hornet to be named all-region since the 1995 season.
She remains the school’s all-time leader in career hitting percentage (.348) and triple-doubles (18) while also ranking third in assists (5,153), ninth in digs (1,417) and 10th in both service aces (107) and solo blocks (49). Beauchene never missed a match during her entire four-year career, started 131-consecutive contests and led the Hornets to the Big Sky Conference regular season and/or tournament championship each of her four seasons.
Beauchene was named the Big Sky Player of the Week a conference-record tying five times in 2003, and received the honor nine times during her career. She received Sacramento State Senior Female Student-Athlete of the Year and Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete honors during the 2003-04 academic year, and was recipient of Hornet Bookstore Student-Athlete of the Week honors three times.
During the final eight years of Beauchene’s volleyball playing career (four years of high school and four years of college), she was part of a championship team all eight seasons, winning four district championships at Fife High School and four Big Sky championships with the Hornets.
She graduated from Sacramento State in the spring of 2005 as a family and consumer science major with a 3.23 GPA.
In her first season at New Mexico, Beauchene was a vital part of the coaching staff that guided the Lobos to achieve feats that hadn’t been reached in almost a decade. The team was 14-14 overall, producing their first .500 season since 1996. They tied the team’s most wins since 1997, beginning with one of the best starts in the history of Lobo volleyball, going 8-2 over their first 10 games. UNM strung together an impressive six-match win streak early in the season as well. The Lobos won three straight matches at the University of Montana Invitational and at their own Hilton Albuquerque Classic, claiming two tournament titles en route to the ninth best win streak, and the longest since 1996. Even the tournament championship at the Montana Invitational accomplished something that hadn’t been done by New Mexico since 1993. It was the first tournament title claimed by the Lobos on the road in 12 years.
The Lobos made even more progress with great showings against BYU, Utah and Colorado State. The Lobos beat Utah, 3-2, on Sept. 24 in Albuquerque, ending a 17-match losing streak to the Utes that dated back to 1997. They topped Colorado State 3-1 on Oct. 22 at home, ending an 18-match losing streak. They just missed upsetting then-ranked No. 22 BYU, falling in five games. However, it was the first time since 1992 that UNM had played to five against the Cougars and only the second time since 1994 that the Lobos had not been shut out. UNM also put up great fights against UNLV and San Diego State, falling just short in five games.