Monday, November 25, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – One player helped her team clinch its third consecutive GNAC championship while the other helped her team end the season with a pair of solid wins to build momentum for next year.

Western Washington senior middle blocker Kayleigh Harper and Concordia sophomore libero Callie Wilkins picked up the final volleyball awards of the season to lead this week’s GNAC Player of the Week awards.

Harper, who is now the GNAC all-time leader in blocks, was named the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after she led the Vikings with 32 kills, 12 blocks and a .460 hitting percentage in two road wins as the team clinched its third conference championship. Harper finished with 16 kills, seven blocks, two digs, a service ace and a .471 hitting percentage in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Central Washington. She followed that up with 16 kills, five blocks, four digs, two service aces and a .448 hitting percentage in a four-set win at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

Wilkins was named the Defensive Player of the Week for her 50 digs in season-ending wins over Western Oregon on Tuesday and Montana State Billings on Saturday. She averaged 7.14 digs per set. Wilkins finished with 16 digs and two aces at WOU before finishing with a career-high of 34 digs with six assists in Saturday’s win over MSUB.

Western Oregon senior guard Dalven Brushier was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he finished with 42 points and eight assists in two wins at the Concordia Oxford Suites Portland Classic, shooting 64 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. Brushier scored 20 points in Friday’s 91-80 win over Notre Dame de Namur, connecting on 7 of 12 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range with three rebounds and five assists. He then scored 22 points on 69 percent from the field in Saturday’s 90-69 win over Regis.

Simon Fraser junior guard Jessica Jones earned Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honors for her 40 points, five assists, four steals and six rebounds in two Clan wins at home. Jones scored 32 points, shooting 11 of 20 from the field and 6 of 13 from three-point range, in Friday’s 81-79 overtime win over UC-Colorado Springs. She also had three rebounds, four assists and three steals in the contest. Jones followed with eight points and three rebounds in a 77-58 win over Western Colorado on Saturday.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 13
VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Kayleigh Harper (Western Washington, MB, 6-3, Sr., Oak Harbor, Wash. – Oak Harbor): Harper finished the regular season with 32 kills, 12 blocks and a .460 hitting percentage as she led the Vikings to two more wins and the team’s third consecutive GNAC championship. She opened the week with 16 kills, seven blocks, two digs, a service ace and a .471 hitting percentage in a three-set sweep at Central Washington on Thursday. Harper then closed out the regular season with 16 kills, five blocks, four digs, two service aces and a .448 hitting percentage at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. Harper finished the regular season leading the GNAC with a .386 hitting percentage and 1.45 blocks per set. Also Nominated: Cate Whiting (Alaska), Eve Stephens (Alaska Anchorage), Gabrielle Aihara (Central Washington), Jessica Wheeler (Concordia), Joelle Mahowald (Montana State Billings), Kalyn Hartmann (Simon Fraser), Sianna DeCarli (Western Oregon).

Defensive: Callie Wilkins (Concordia, L, 5-10, So., Happy Valley, Ore. – Clackamas): Wilkins led all GNAC players last week with 50 digs, averaging 7.14 digs per set, to help lead the Cavaliers to two wins to close out the season. She finished with 16 digs in Tuesday’s three-set win at Western Oregon to go along with two aces. She then posted a career-high of 34 digs to go along with six assists to help the Cavs to a four-set win over Montana State Billings at home on Saturday. Also Nominated: Kim Wong (Alaska), Talia Leauanae (Alaska Anchorage), Kyla Morgan (Central Washington), Allyson Crisp (Western Oregon), Mae Thungc (Western Washington).

MEN’S BASKETBALL
Dalven Brushier (Western Oregon, G, 6-3, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo. – Salt Lake City CC): Brushier led Western Oregon with 42 points and eight assists in two wins at the Concordia Oxford Suites Portland Classic, shooting 64 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range as the Wolves improved to 3-0 on the season. Brushier played all but one minute in Friday’s 91-80 win over Notre Dame de Namur, finishing with 20 points on 7 of 12 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range to go with three rebounds and five assists. He finished the week with 22 points in Saturday’s 90-69 win over Regis, connecting on 9 of 13 from the field to go with three assists and two rebounds. Also Nominated: Shadeed Shabazz (Alaska), Matt Poquette (Central Washington), Hunter Sweet (Concordia), Alex Schumacher (Saint Martin’s), Jasdeep Singh (Simon Fraser).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Jessica Jones (Simon Fraser, G, 5-9, Jr., Richmond, B.C. – McMath): Jones led Simon Fraser to a pair home wins over RMAC opponents with 40 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. She connected on 46 percent from the field and 7 of 10 from the free throw line. Jones opened the week with a 32-point performance in Friday’s 81-79 overtime win over UC-Colorado Springs, making 11 of 20 from the field and 6 of 13 from three-point range to go with four assists and three steals. She then scored eight points in Saturday’s 77-58 win over Western Colorado, contributing three rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal. Also Nominated: Jocelyn Gandara (Alaska), Yazmeen Goo (Alaska Anchorage), Olivia Vezladenos (Concordia), Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings), Marina Valles (Northwest Nazarene), Janealle Sutterlict (Saint Martin’s), Anna Schwecke (Western Washington).