Wednesday, December 9, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – She is the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s first four-time first team all-conference selection in volleyball, and now Alaska Anchorage’s Julia Mackey can add first team All-American to her prestigious resume.

The senior right side hitter leads the list of six GNAC volleyball players selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and D2CCA Division II Volleyball All-American teams. The AVCA squad was announced on Dec. 8 and the D2CCA squad was released on Dec. 9.

Mackey became just the eighth player in GNAC history to be named a first team All-American, earning selection to the AVCA’s Division II All-America First Team. She is the first GNAC first team selection since Western Washington’s Samantha Hutchinson earned the honor at the end of the 2013 season.

Mackey was joined on the AVCA team by two of her teammates. Junior setter Morgan Hooe and senior outside hitter Katelynn Zanders both earned third team selections. Three other players received honorable mention: Northwest Nazarene middle blocker Madi Farrell, Central Washington setter Catie Fry and Western Washington outside hitter Rachel Roeder.

In addition to the AVCA honors, both Hooe and Zanders were honorable mentions on the D2CCA Volleyball All-American Team.

Mackey moved up to the first team after earning honorable mention listing in 2014. She finished ninth in the GNAC with a .290 hitting percentage and was ranked 10th with 2.99 kills per set. Mackey played in all 100 sets for the Seawolves, one of three UAA players to play every set. She finished with 19 matches with double-digit kills, topped by 19-kill performance against Rockhurst on Sept. 4.

Hooe, First Team All-GNAC selection, was also a first team selection on both the AVCA and D2CCA All-West Region teams. She finished second in the GNAC and 36th in Division II with an average of 10.56 assists per set (1,162 total). Hooe finished with 40 or more assists in 12 matches and double-doubles (assists & digs) in 12 matches, topped by a 55-assist, 13-dig performance against Rockhurst on Sept. 4.

Zanders, the GNAC Player of the Year, was also a first team all-region selection by both the AVCA and D2CCA. She was a Second Team AVCA All-American in 2013 and was honorable mention in 2014. Zanders finished second in the GNAC and was 53rd in Division II with an average of 3.71 kills per set. She was also second in the league and 47th in Division II with 4.29 points per set. Zanders finished double-digit kills in 22 matches, including the first seven of the season. She notched a double-double of 22 kills and 17 digs at Western Oregon on Sept. 17.

Farrell led one of the strongest blocking conferences in the nation. A First Team All-GNAC and All-West Region selection by both the AVCA and D2CCA, her average of 1.49 blocks per set not only led the league, but is fourth in Division II entering the postseason. In addition, Farrell led the GNAC and is 13th in Division II with a .367 hitting percentage. She posted 13 matches with 10 or more kills and four with 10 or more blocks. Farrell had a double-double of 13 kills and 10 blocks at Simon Fraser on Oct. 24 and registered a season-high of 17 kills against Alaska Anchorage on Oct. 8.

Fry earned her third conseuctive First Team All-GNAC selection and honorable mention AVCA All-West Region honors after leading Central Washington and finishing fourth in the league and 56th in Division II with 10.26 assists per set. She notched 40-plus assist efforts in 12 matches and registered double-doubles in 10 matches. She dished out a season-high 53 assists against Point Loma in the GNAC/PacWest Crossover on Sept. 10.

Roeder earned her second consecutive All-GNAC First Team selection and honorable mention AVCA All-West Region honors after finishing seventh in the GNAC with 3.19 kills per set and ninth with a .292 hitting percentage. She has 18 double-digit kill performances to date. She has saved two of her best performances for the postseason, topped by a 22-kill performance in the Vikings’ Dec. 6 West Region championship victory over Cal State San Bernardino.

GNAC 2015 VOLLEYBALL ALL-AMERICAN SELECTIONS
ACVAFirst Team: Julia Mackey, Alaska Anchorage
Third Team: Morgan Hooe, Alaska Anchorage; Katelynn Zanders, Alaska Anchorage
Honorable Mention: Madi Farrell, Northwest Nazarene; Catie Fry, Central Washington; Rachel Roeder, Western Washington

D2CCA
Honorable Mention: Morgan Hooe, Alaska Anchorage; Katelynn Zanders, Alaska Anchorage