Erica Menzel-Downing

Erica Menzel-Downing was such a great high school athlete, the future NCAA volleyball player earned 11 varsity letters while a San Marcos Royal. Competing in basketball and Track & Field as well as volleyball, Menzel-Downing was a First Team All-Channel League selection in all three. She was elite in volleyball and track & field, garnering All-CIF honors in both sports in the same year.

Her incredible athletic ability, coupled with a fierce competitive drive, helped land her a scholarship at UCSB under the tutelage of Kathy Gregory. Menzel-Downing was a four-year starter for the Gauchos, becoming one of only two Gauchos to be ranked in the top 10 in career kills, kill average and digs. The Gauchos made the NCAA Tournament every year Menzel-Downing was on the team and won the Big West Conference title twice.

Menzel-Downing’s high school career included a CIF Championship in both volleyball and high jump. That year she was named the Athletic Round Table Athlete of the Year in both volleyball and track & field. Her leadership qualities were on par with her athletic ability as Menzel-Downing was named a team captain in all three sports she played.

It’s become a full circle as Menzel-Downing has returned to San Marcos as the girls’ varsity volleyball coach. The Royals have already won two Channel League championships under her guidance, and Menzel-Downing was recognized as Coach of the Year in 2012. She also devotes time to coaching with the Santa Barbara Volleyball Club.

“Playing for Kathy Gregory at UCSB made for a lot of tough moments, however, those tough moments and those challenging work outs and practices helped mold me into the person and the coach I am today,” she says.

Athletics is a big part of Menzel-Downing’s life. She married former San Marcos/Stanford star golfer George Downing with whom she has two children, Austin and Blake. Menzel- Downing’s younger brother, Jeff, plays professional volleyball in Europe after a similar standout career at San Marcos and UCSB.