PORTLAND, OR – Middle blocker Kayla Erickson of Western Washington has been selected the 2013 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Year.

Erickson, who was one of six unanimous selections named to the first team all-conference team, ranks fourth nationally in kill percentage (.385) and second in the GNAC points (4.44) and fourth in kills (3.68).

Viking libero Samantha Hutchinson was voted the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row.  Hutchinson currently ranks second in the nation in digs averaging 6.90 per set.

Both Erickson and Hutchinson received seven of  a possible 10 first-place votes.

Also earning special awards were two players from Alaska Anchorage.

Quinn Barker, a transfer from Central Arizona College, was selected the GNAC Newcomer of the Year.  Barker ranks fourth in the GNAC in digs, averaging 4.72.

Earning GNAC Freshman of the Year honors was Seawolf middle blocker Erin Braun.  Braun ranks fourth in the conference in hitting (.314) and ninth in blocks averaging 1.01.

Western Washington’s Diane Flick and Chris Green of Alaska Anchorage each received four votes to share the GNAC Coach of the Year award.

It’s the eighth GNAC Coach of the Year award for  Flick (296-76, 14 years), who is a 1993 graduate of University of Washington. 

She was also selected in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2012 when she led her team to GNAC titles and in 2006 when she led the Vikings to a second-place finish.

It is the second GNAC Coach of the Year award for Green, who has a 111-59 record at UAA in six seasons.  He was also the recipient in 2009.

Flick led WWU to a 23-3 record and to its seventh conference title in the 13-year history of the conference this fall.

UAA finished the regular-season  with a 21-9  record, ending up one match back of WWU in the conference standings.

Both teams posted 9-0 conference records on the road to post 16-2 and 15-3 GNAC records, respectively

Western Washington led the all-star selections placing three players on the 14-woman first team. 

Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Northwest Nazarene and Seattle Pacific each earned two spots on the first team, while Alaska Fairbanks, MSU Billings and Western Oregon had one each.

Joining Erickson as unanimous picks were Hutchinson, outside hitters Katelynn Zanders and Julia Mackey of Alaska Anchorage, Seattle Pacific middle blocker Nikki Lowell and Northwest Nazarene middle blocker Andrea Terpstra.

Three players – Erickson, Hutchinson and Mackey -- were repeat selections from last year’s 14-woman first team.  Lowell previously earned first team honors in 2010.