Wednesday, September 28, 2016

MAKING A RUN: For the second year in a row, Alaska Anchorage is making quite a run to begin the season. With its three set win at Alaska on Tuesday, the Seawolves matched the school record for consecutive wins by 14. That record was set by 14 consecutive wins by the 2015 GNAC championship team to start the season. The 2016 Seawolves have not lost since taking a three-set sweep at Chaminade on Aug. 26.

Alaska Anchorage was not the only GNAC team making an impressive run to start the year. Simon Fraser saw an eight-match win streak end on Saturday with a three-set loss at home to Alaska Anchorage. The Clan has opened the season with a 10-2 record.

Neither team, however, is anywhere close to the all-time record for consecutive wins. That belongs to Central Washington, which won 31 straight matches between Nov. 1, 2003 and Nov. 13, 2004.

PACKING THEM IN: Fans at GNAC schools love their volleyball. Alaska Anchorage is the current Division II leader in attendance, having welcomed 968 fans per match in six matches. The Seawolves have seen two of the top-10 crowds in Division II this season and four of the top-15, topped by the 1,281 that saw UAA beat Seattle Pacific on Sept. 17. The GNAC enters the week having welcomed seven of the top-20 crowds in Division II so far in 2016. Central Washington had 923 fans watch its three-set sweep of Montana State Billings on Sept. 24, the 16th best crowd this season. Simon Fraser welcomed 823 fans to West Gym for their five-set win over Western Washington on Sept. 14, the 19th best crowd of the year, and Northwest Nazarene packed 802 fans in for its match with Central Washington on Sept. 20, the 20th best crowd of the year.

IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS: The streaking Seawolves improved two spots to No. 10 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll. Alaska Anchorage is one of nine teams in the poll with one loss or less. Western Washington slipped three spots this week to No. 23. The Vikings’ six losses are the most of any team in the top-25.

Both Northwest Nazarene (22 points) and Simon Fraser (5 points) were among teams receiving votes. The GNAC accounts for two of the three West Region teams in the top-25 (Cal State San Bernardino is No. 17).

FIRST D2 WEST REGION VOLLEYBALL SHOWCASE GOES TO GNAC: The first D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase was a great stage for the GNAC, which came away as the big winner between the three competing conferences.

The GNAC finished with a 31-13 record, a .704 win percentage, in the three-day event, which featured all 38 volleyball teams from the GNAC, the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and the PacWest Conference. The CCAA finished with a 28-25 record while the PacWest finished 17-38.

The tougher the pods were, the better the GNAC did. The league went 7-1 in the Sonoma State pod, which featured the first and second place finishers in last year’s regular season standings. The GNAC swept the UC San Diego pod with an 8-0 record and went 6-2 in the San Francisco State pod. Five GNAC teams finished the tournament with 4-0 records: Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin’s and Simon Fraser.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Kendra Bodine, Northwest Nazarene
OH • 5-10 • Junior • Eugene, Ore.

Bodine finished with 39 kills, a .348 hitting percentage and 32 digs as the Crusaders split a pair of GNAC matches. She finished with 20 kills and 22 digs Tuesday against Central Washington and added totals of 19 kills and 10 digs against Montana State Billngs.

Also Nominated: Abby Phelps (Western Washington), Alisha Bettinson (Western Oregon), Hannah Lautenbach (Seattle Pacific), Morgan Hooe (Alaska Anchorage), Lindsey Dorsey (Concordia), Nicolette Nesbitt (Saint Martin’s), Madison Weg (Central Washington).

DEFENSIVE
Erin Braun, Alaska Anchorage
MB • 6-0 • Senior • San Bernardino, Calif.

Braun came up with 10 blocks in a pair of road wins over Western Washington and Simon Fraser. She finished with five blocks and three digs on the front-line in the four-set win over WWU on Thursday and added five blocks in the three-set sweep of Simon Fraser on Saturday.

Also Nominated: Shayli Siegfreid (Northwest Nazarene), Libbie Hoene (Western Oregon), Shaun Crespi (Seattle Pacific), Anna Dols (Concordia), Cassidy Apo (Saint Martin’s), Erin Little (Central Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska will look to end a four-match losing streak when it travels to Montana State Billings on Friday. The Nanooks dropped both matches on the road last week, falling in four sets to Simon Fraser on Thursday and in three sets at Western Washington on Saturday. Alaska opened this week with a three-set loss to Alaska Anchorage.

• Freshman middle blocker Kim Wong led Alaska in two of the three matches, finishing with 12 kills and two blocks at Simon Fraser on Thursday. She had seven kills and three blocks against UAA on Tuesday. Wong enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC with a .291 hitting percentage.

• Junior setter Rachel Nichols had 20 or more assists in all three matches, topped by a 32-assist performance against Simon Fraser. She fell two digs short of a double-double against Western Washington with 22 assists and eight digs. Nichols enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC with 9.23 assists per set.

• The Nanooks are ranked third in the GNAC and are just outside of the NCAA Division II top-30 with 1.72 service aces per set. Junior middle blocker Riley Podowicz is seventh in the GNAC with an average of 0.43 aces per set.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage won all both matches last weekend and added a win over Alaska on Tuesday to run its current win streak to 14 matches, tying the school record set by last year’s GNAC championship team.

• The Seawolves performed well on the road over the weekend, defeating Western Washington in four sets on Thursday and Simon Fraser in three sets on Friday. Alaska Anchorage traveled north to Fairbanks on Tuesday, defeating Alaska in three sets.

• Sophomore outside hitter Leah Swiss had another big offensive week, finishing with 40 kills, 27 digs and four aces in the last three matches. She led the Seawolves with 17 kills, three aces and 13 digs in the win over Western Washington, added 10 kills and 11 digs in the win over Simon Fraser and finished with 13 kills against Alaska. Swiss enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC with 3.70 kills per set and is 21st in Division II with 194 total kills. Swiss is also second in the GNAC and 48th in Division II with 4.36 points per set.

• Senior middle blocker Erin Braun was named GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after she came up with 10 blocks in the wins last week, five in each match. She added three blocks in the win over Alaska on Tuesday. Braun enters the week third in the GNAC and 15th in Division II with 1.21 blocks per set.

• With the wins, Alaska Anchorage climbed two spots to No. 10 in the latest AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll.

• Alaska Anchorage enters the week leading the GNAC in opponent hitting percentage (.110) and service aces (1.98 per set) and is second in kills (13.23 per set). The Seawolves are ranked third in Division II in blocks per set (2.55 per set) and total blocks (135.0), fifth in team service aces (106) and 20th in aces per set.

• The Seawolves are once again leading Division II in attendance, having averaged 968 fans per game in six matches this season. Alaska Anchorage lead Division II in attendance in 2015, averaging 1,481 fans per match.

• Alaska Anchorage finishes the week and will look to set the school record for consecutive wins at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• The Wildcats have won three of their first four GNAC matches of the season, adding two wins last week with a four-set win at Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday and a three-set win over Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Madison Weg led the Wildcats with 22 kills, a .367 hitting percentage and seven blocks in the two matches. She had 14 kills and five blocks while hitting .500 in the win over Northwest Nazarene and added eight kills in the sweep of Montana State Billings. Weg enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC with a .282 hitting percentage.

• Sophomore outside hitter Shelby Mauritson finished with 15 kills and eight digs to lead the Wildcats over Northwest Nazarene.

• Junior middle blocker Sabrina Wheelhouse did not play last week. She enters the week leading the GNAC and ranking third in Division II with 1.50 blocks per set. Wheelhouse also ranks second in the GNAC with 0.47 aces per set.

• Senior middle blocker Erin Little is fourth in the GNAC and 20th in Division II with 1.23 blocks per set. She also ranks 27th in Division II with 55 total blocks. Freshman defensive specialist Kyla Morgan is sixth in the GNAC with 4.48 digs per set.

• Central Washington leads the GNAC and is second in Division II with an average of 2.72 blocks per set and rank seventh with 125 total blocks.

• Central Washington will spend this week at home. The Wildcats host Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia is on a three-match win streak after taking both road matches over the weekend. The Cavaliers defeated Saint Martin’s in three sets on Thursday before surviving a five-set match at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Junior opposite Lindsey Dorsey led Concordia with 30 kills, a .289 hitting percentage and eight blocks in the two matches. She led the Cavaliers on Saturday with 23 kills and seven blocks in the five-set win over Seattle Pacific. Dorsey leads the GNAC with 0.59 aces per set and is eighth with 3.22 kills per set.

• Senior outside hitter Brenna Huwe led the Cavaliers in Thursday’s sweep of Saint Martin’s, finishing with 14 kills, nine digs and four blocks. Huwe finished with 22 kills and 24 digs in the two matches and is ranked ninth in the GNAC with 3.22 kills per set.

• Among others in the GNAC stats, junior middle blocker Colby Barnette is ranked third with a .314 hitting percentage and fifth with 1.17 blocks per set. Junior setter Michele Brown is third in the league with 10.98 assists per set and freshman defensive specialist Anna Dols is seventh with 4.37 digs per set.

• On Sept. 17, Concordia broke the GNAC record for blocks in a four-set match with 21. That surpassed the record of 20 held by six different teams, most recently Northwest Nazarene vs. Seattle Pacific on 11/12/15.

• Concordia continues to lead the GNAC with a .234 hitting percentage and is second in the league with 1.89 aces per set.

• The Cavaliers return home for a pair of tough matches, hosting Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings will aim to end its 12-match losing streak at home this weekend. The Yellowjackets will host Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• The Yellowjackets took a pair of three-set losses on the road, falling at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Ashlynn Ward led Montana State Billings in both matches. She finished with 14 kills and a .312 hitting percentage at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and 14 kills and 15 digs against Central Washington on Saturday. Ward enters the week ranked sixth in the GNAC with 3.80 points per set and ninth with a .270 hitting percentage. Ward also ranks 38th in Division II with 182 total kills.

• Senior outside hitter Stormy Siemion ranks fourth in the GNAC with 4.01 points per set. She finished with 17 kills and 23 digs in the two matches. Siemion is also third in the GNAC with 3.71 kills per set and is 17th in Division II with 11.92 attacks per set.

• Among others in the GNAC stats, junior setter Mataia Robinson is 10th in the GNAC with 0.35 aces per set while freshman setter Angala Jensen is eighth with 9.04 assists per set.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• After taking a four-set loss at home to Central Washington on Tuesday, Northwest Nazarene put an end to a a two-match losing streak with a three-set sweep of Montana State Billings on Thursday.

• Junior outside hitter Kendra Bodine was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after finishing with 39 kills, a .348 hitting percentage and 32 digs in two matches. She led the Crusaders with 20 kills and 22 digs in the loss to Central Washington and 19 kills, a .500 hitting percentage and 10 digs in the win over Montana State Billings. Bodine leads the GNAC and is 19th in Division II with 4.22 kills per set. Bodine also leads the league and is 38th in Division II with 4.45 points per set.

• Junior setter Hailey Cook had 85 assists and 12 digs in the two matches, paced by 49 assists and 11 digs in the loss to Central Washington. Cook leads the GNAC and is 22nd in Division II with 11.07 assists per set.

• Junior middle blocker Madi Farrell contributed 21 kills and six blocks in the two matches. She enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC with a .314 hitting percentage and sixth with 1.12 blocks per set.

• Northwest Nazarene remains among those receiving votes in the latest AVCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Crusaders are seventh among teams receiving votes with 22.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked 19th in Division II with 18.39 digs per set. The Crusaders also lead the league and rank 34th in Division II with 12.56 assists per set.

• Northwest Nazarene hosts Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday to end a four-match home stand.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s saw its hot start slowed by two weekend losses. The Saints fell to Concordia in three sets on Thursday and dropped a five-set match to Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Gondrezick led the Saints with 20 kills, a .286 hitting percentage and 14 digs in the two matches, topped by 13 kills and 10 digs in the loss to Western Oregon.

• Junior outside hitter Rebecca Mitchell led Saint Martin’s with 14 kills and nine digs in the loss to Western Oregon and finished with 19 kills, 13 digs and three blocks in the two matches.

• Sophomore libero Cassidy Apo is 10th in the GNAC with 3.77 digs per set. Sophomore outside hitter Megan Vernoy is ranked 12th in the GNAC with a .263 hitting percentage.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week ranked fifth in the GNAC with a .205 hitting percentage, 1.52 aces per set and 17.03 digs per set.

• The Saints are on the road for their next three matches. Saint Martin’s is at Central Washington on Thursday and at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• After dropping its first two GNAC matches of the season, Seattle Pacific picked up its first conference win with a three-set sweep of Western Oregon on Thursday. The Falcons finished the week with a five-set loss to Concordia on Saturday.

• Junior outside hitter Hannah Lautenbach paced Seattle Pacific with 23 kills, 24 digs, a .246 hitting percentage and 10 blocks in the two matches. Her weekend was topped by 13 kills, 14 digs and five blocks in the loss to Concordia.

• Freshman outside hitter Gabby Oddo had 23 kills and 24 digs in the two matches. She finished with 12 kills and 18 digs in the loss to Concordia. Oddo enters the week ranked sixth in the GNAC with 3.41 kills per set and seventh with 3.78 points per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Shaun Crespi added 11 blocks to her total and led the Falcons with a 10-kill, 6-block performance in the win over Western Oregon on Thursday. Crespi enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and seventh in Division II with 1.39 blocks per set. Crespi is also fifth in Division II with 64 total blocks.

• As a team, Seattle Pacific is second in the GNAC and fifth in Division II with 2.50 blocks per set. The Falcons are also 32nd in Division II with 38.02 team attacks per set.

• The Falcons are back on the road this weekend, playing at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and at Central Washington on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• The Clan took a split over the weekend, seeing its eight-match win streak come to an end. Simon Fraser defeated Alaska in four sets on Friday before taking a three-set loss to Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Emma Jennings led Simon Fraser with 20 kills and 11 digs in the two matches. She finished with 14 kills and seven digs in Friday’s win over Alaska.

• Sophomore middle blocker Tessa May finished with 19 kills and a .273 hitting percentage in the two matches, paced by nine kills in the loss to Alaska Anchorage. May enters the week ranked sixth in the GNAC with a .296 hitting percentage and is tied for ninth with 1.00 blocks per set.

• Senior setter Tamara Nipp finished with 80 assists in the two matches. She enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 23rd in Division II with 11.00 assists per set. Nipp also ranks 46th in Division II with 473 total assists.

• As a team, Simon Fraser enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 37th in Division II with 12.42 assists per set. The Clan also ranks third in the GNAC with a .150 opponent hitting percentage and 18.26 digs per set.

• Simon Fraser was listed among teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Top-25 Poll for the second consecutive week, picking up five votes.

• Simon Fraser travels to Oregon for two matches this week, playing at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon continued its improvement under first year head coach Tommy Gott, splitting their weekend matches to improve to 2-2 in conference play. The Wolves fell to Seattle Pacific in three sets on Thursday before scoring a five-set win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Junior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson came up with 37 kills, a .214 hitting percentage and 20 digs in the two matches. She finished with 10 kills and 12 digs in the loss to SPU on Thursday and then came alive for 27 kills and eight digs in the win over SMU. Bettinson enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 44th in Division II with 3.81 kills per set. She is also fifth in the GNAC with 3.98 points per set.

• Senior middle blocker Paige Orth finished with 18 kills, a .278 hitting percentage and eight digs in the two matches, led by 14 kills in the win over Saint Martin’s.

• Junior middle blocker Sydney Blankinship leads the GNAC with a .341 hitting percetnage. Sophomore setter Maddie Mehciz is fourth in the GNAC and is 48th in Division II with 10.24 assists per set. Senior libero Christie Colasurdo is fourth in the GNAC with 4.81 digs per set.

• As a team, Western Oregon is second in the GNAC and 20th in Division II with 18.26 digs per set.

• Western Oregon returns home for a pair of tough matches, hosting Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington took a split in its first home matches of the season. The Vikings took a four-set loss to Alaska Anchorage on Thursday before sweeping Alaska in three sets on Saturday.

• The loss to the Seawolves dropped Western Washington three spots in this week’s AVCA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll to No. 23.

• Sophomore outside hitter Abby Phelps led WWU with 25 kills, a .288 hitting percentage, 32 digs and four blocks in the two matches. She finished with 15 kills and 18 digs in the loss to Alaska Anchorage and then had 10 kills, 14 digs and three blocks in the win over Alaska. Phelps enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC with 3.23 kills per set and ninth with 3.65 points per set.

• Sophomore setter Brette Boesel enters the week ranked ninth in the GNAC with 6.28 assists per set and added 34 assists in the two matches last week. She shares time with junior Kristina Tribley, who led the Vikings with 36 assists in the two matches.

• Sophomore outside hitter Kayleigh Harper added eight blocks in the two matches. She enters the week second in the GNAC with a .333 hitting percetnage and is eighth with 1.05 blocks per set.

• As a team, Western Washington leads the GNAC and is 31st in Division II with 13.42 kills per set. The Vikings are also second in the GNAC and 39th in Division II with a .233 hitting percentage.

• Western Washington will be in Oregon this week, playing at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Western Washington will play all of their 2016 home matches at Bellingham’s Whatcom Community College while their on-campus arena, Carver Gymnasium, undergoes the second year of a two-year renovation.