Samantha Cash

Classroom

Cash is a film studies major with a 3.14 grade point average. She is on track to graduate in Spring 2015. She aspires to work in the film industry, own a production company and shoot films with her sister. Her other life goals include playing in the Olympics (2020), climbing Mt. Everest and sending her father to outer space. Sam is very passionate about her field of study and spends countless hours in the editing lab perfecting assignments and projects. She is quick to help peers – whether it be Pepperdine students, area university students or film industry people – with film projects. She was a volunteer set dresser for the short film “Honey Maple Morgan.”

Character

Says coach Nina Matthies: “Samantha is the glue the holds the team together. Her desire to win, and more importantly put in the work to win, is second to none. She’s constantly striving for ways to improve and her tremendous work ethic inspires those around her to work harder. She’s every coach’s dream, just work work work, and always positive.” On having to overcome numerous injuries: “It doesn’t matter what’s put up in front of her. She is always positive. I never had a day where she didn’t high five and thank me after practice, whether she was injured or not.” She regularly thanks table staff, SIDs and student workers at matches as well. On playing different roles for the indoor and sand volleyball teams: “Samantha is a dominant starter indoors, but was not a regular in the sand lineup. Her approach to practice was always the same though: ‘What am I going to accomplish today?’ She knows that her roles are different in both sports, but that never affected her attitude or effort. Her effort is tremendous.” On her personality: “Samantha is not like everyone else. She’s a free spirit, unique, always positive, fun loving and caring. She’s very aware of everyone around her and at helping pick people up who need it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a teammate, classmate, friend or stranger.”

Community

Samantha is an annual volunteer with the Tom Shadyac Bicycle Giveaway, which provides bikes to inner city elementary age students in Los Angeles. She volunteers time to help with the installment of the Pepperdine Wave of Flags memorial, in which nearly 3,000 flags are raised on the campus’ park in memory of the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. She volunteers almost all expendable time helping classmates and film peers with filming projects. Sam works at all three of Pepperdine volleyball coaches’ volleyball camps and is a member of SAAC. While traveling overseas, she helped with a volleyball clinic in France. She also taught Tibetans the basics of volleyball despite the language barrier while waiting to drive to Mt. Everest’s Base Camp 1. While in China, she visited the Beijing National Stadium (The Bird’s Nest) and crossed paths with a young Chinese girl who had a volleyball with her. Samantha and her travel companions ended up playing with the girl and helping her with the fundamentals.

Competition

Cash has been the Waves’ starting middle blocker since her freshman year in 2011. She was named the 2011 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and an All-WCC first team pick. She ranked first on team and second in the WCC with a 1.18 blocks/set as a freshman. She also averaged 1.40 blocks/set in WCC matches. Her 142.0 total blocks in 2011 ranks second in Pepperdine’s singles season rally scoring era record book. She helped lead the Waves to the NCAA Tournament regional finals that season. As a sophomore, Samantha averaged 1.96 kills and 0.70 blocks. She was hindered with injury and missed five matches while playing numerous others at less than full strength. The Waves reached NCAA Tournament. Samantha returned to form in 2013 and was named an All-WCC first teamer. She produced a blocks average of 1.31 which ranked third in conference and 38th in the NCAA. Her blocks average also ranked second in Pepperdine’s record book. Her season hitting percentage of .337 (208-55-454) led the team, ranked fourth in the conference and 10th in the Waves’ program history. Her junior season blocks total of 119.0 ranks 10th in the single-season Pepperdine annals. She also posted 208 kills for a 2.29 kills/set average. Samantha enters her senior year ranked 10th in program history with 330 career blocks and is on track to rank in top-three by season’s end. She is also a member of the 2014 AVCA National Championship winning sand volleyball team at Pepperdine.