To the coaching staff and athletic director at Santa Barbara High, Stella Borgioli is that special student athlete who checks all the boxes of what a Dons student-athlete represents.
Borgioli was named Santa Barbara’s recipient of the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award on Monday at the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Press Luncheon at Harry’s Plaza Cafe.
Borgioli, a junior, plays indoor and beach volleyball. She was a key member of the Dons’ Channel League championship team in indoor volleyball in the fall.
Her work ethic and caring on and off the court is what sets her apart from other student athletes.
“We were talking as coaches and talking to our athletic director, saying Stella is the embodiment of what we would want a Santa Barbara scholar, athlete and community member to be,” said indoor and beach volleyball coach Kristen Hempy. “She really is the trifecta and she embodies it all.”
Hempy offered a comment from athletic director Todd Heil that she felt best described Borgioli: “You can always catch Stella doing what’s right — in the classroom, community, in the hall, on the court in practice and in the games.”
The daughter of Rebecca and Andreas Borgioli is leader on campus as a member of ASB Leadership. She is the founder of the volunteer group Teens on the Scene, the creator/founder of the Bucket Brigade Club and captain of the beach volleyball team.
She also is a Student Advisory Council Delegate to the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
With so much happening on campus and in the classroom (she carries a 4.7 GPA), Stella still gives time and energy to her community. She actively volunteers at the National Charity League, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Food Bank and the American Heart Association.
She stepped up and offered help during the COVID-19 pandemic and was honored with a Presidential Service Award.
She was named a County of Santa Barbara Local Hero for manufacturing 437 COVID masks for first responders.
She was presented a United States Congress Certificate of Special Recognition for volunteering 155.5 hours with the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade in 2020.
As her volleyball coach, Hempy has seen how much Stella dedicates herself to the team.
“But it goes beyond the team,” she said. “I’m really excited for her to be able to be recognized with this award because she truly deserves it.”
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