Wednesday, September 6, 2017

IT’S TIME FOR THE SHOWCASE: For the second straight season, every Division II West Region volleyball program comes together for a massive three-day crossover classic. The D2 West Region Showcase is hosted this season by the GNAC, with teams playing in five conference cities and San Francisco.

The six-team pods are determined by the placing in the previous year’s regular season conference standings. Alaska Anchorage hosts the No. 1 and 2 place teams. Northwest Nazarene hosts the third and fourth place teams and Central Washington hosts the fifth and sixth place teams. The No. 7 and 8 teams from each conference are at Western Oregon and the ninth and 10th place teams compete at Saint Martin’s. The remaining teams will compete in the San Francisco pod at San Francisco State.

The GNAC dominated competition in 2016, going 31-13. Of the 11 conference programs, seven finished with winning records in the showcase. Combined with the first two years of the crossover event, which pitted GNAC teams against the PacWest, the GNAC has a 68-40 record.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE PICKED TO REPEAT AS CHAMPIONS: Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington are picked No. 1 and No. 2 in a very close 2017 GNAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Aug. 22. The Seawolves, the defending NCAA Division II national runner-up, received five first place votes and a total of 110 points. The Vikings, who fell to UAA in the West Region championship match, picked up three first place votes and a total of 109 points.

Northwest Nazarene, which won its first ever NCAA Tournament match last season, is picked a close third with the remaining first place votes and a total of 106 points.

The GNAC’s two other regional contenders are picked fourth and fifth with Central Washington earning 89 points and Simon Fraser earning 77 points. Concordia is picked sixth with 67 points followed by Western Oregon (50 pts.), Seattle Pacific (46 pts.), Saint Martin’s (26 pts.), Alaska (25 pts.) and Montana State Billings (21 pts.).

SWISS HEADLINES FIRST GNAC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Alaska Anchorage outside hitter Leah Swiss was selected by coaches as the 2017 GNAC Preseason Player of the Year in the conference’s first preseason survey of volleyball talent. Swiss was one of three Seawolves elected to the team and was joined by sophomore right side Diana Fa’amausili and junior outside hitter Chrisalyn Johnson.

The preseason squad was dominated by players from the five GNAC teams that qualified for last year’s NCAA West Regional Tournament. Northwest Nazarene equaled Alaska Anchorage’s three selections with honors for senior middle blocker Madi Farrell, senior outside hitter Kendra Bodine and senior setter Hailey Cook.

Central Washington, Simon Fraser and Western Washington each had two selections to the team. The Wildcats are represented by senior middle blocker Sabrina Wheelhouse and junior outside hitter Shelby Mauritson. Simon Fraser earned selections for junior middle blocker Tessa May and senior outside hitter Christine Howlett while Western Washington is represented by junior outside hitter Abby Phelps and senior outside hitter Arielle Turner.

Rounding out the 14 selections is Concordia senior opposite Lindsey Dorsey and Western Oregon senior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson.

IN THE POLLS: Thanks to a 3-1 record in The Terrace Hotels Classic in Florida, Western Washington moved up two spots to No. 10 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25. The Vikings picked up 720 points are are the top-ranked team from the West Region. Alaska Anchorage slipped 10 spots to No. 14 after going 2-2 at the Point Loma Seaside Invitational.  Northwest Nazarene (61 pts.) and Central Washington (60 pts.) are third and fourth, respectively, among teams receiving votes. The D2 West Region Showcase will feature five top-25 teams: Western Washington, Cal State San Bernardino (11th), Alaska Anchorage, Concordia-Irvine (15th), and Cal Baptist (24th).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Madi Farrell, Northwest Nazarene
MB • 6-2 • Senior • Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Farrell was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cal State Monterey Bay Spring Hill Suites Classic as the Crusaders opened the season 4-0. She finished the week with a .469 hitting percentage in the four matches with 64 kills and 17 blocks. Her best effort came in Saturday’s four-set victory over Dixie State where Farrell finished with 20 kills, a .563 hitting percentage, three digs and eight blocks.

Also Nominated: Markie Miller (Alaska), Maggie McTaggart (Central Washington), Lindsey Dorsey (Concordia), Bayli Monck (Montana State Billings), Alisha Bettinson (Western Oregon), Abby Phelps (Western Washington).

DEFENSIVE
Mackenzie Bowen, Western Oregon
DS • 5-9 • Junior • Olympia, Wash.

Bowen was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Concordia-Portland Labor Day Tournament as she finished with 5.73 digs per set. She finished with a high of 35 digs in a four-set win over Lubbock Christian on Friday. Bowen also had a 15-dig performance in Saturday’s three-set sweep of Westminster (Utah).

Also Nominated: Jenna Hickel (Alaska), Sabrina Wheelhouse (Central Washington), Anna Dols (Concordia), Izela Alvarez (Montana State Billings), Kendra Bodine (Northwest Nazarene), Michaela Hall (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Win at Elizabeth City St., 3-0. Sept. 2: Beat Kutztown, 3-1, and Mount Olive, 3-0. Sept. 3: Beat Converse, 3-0; Lost to Slippery Rock, 3-0 (all at Virginia Beach, Va.).

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Holy Names, 9:30 a.m.; vs. Hawaii Hilo, 5 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Academy of Art, 11:15 a.m. Sept. 9: vs. Biola, 9:30 a.m. (all at San Francisco).

• After winning just three matches in 2016, Alaska opened the season with a 4-1 record at the Viking Virginia Beach Invitational. The Nanooks won four straight matches before falling three sets to Slippery Rock in the Sunday finale.

• Freshman outside hitter Markie Miller led the Nanooks with 41 kills in the five matches, averaging 2.56 kills per set with a .236 hitting percentage. She had 11 kills in the opener vs. Elizabeth City St. and 12 kills against Converse.

• Senior Riley Podowicz is third in the GNAC with her .390 hitting percentage. She finished with 28 kills and six blocks in the five matches, topped by a 10-kill performance against Mount Olive.

• Alaska enters the week leading the GNAC with an average of 2.62 aces per set. Miller is second individually at 0.69 per set (11 total). Sophomore Gabby Lerma is third at 0.67 per set (10 total) and freshman Cate Whiting is third at 0.62 per set (10 total).

• As a team, Alaska enters the D2 West Region Showcase ranked third in the GNAC in hitting percentage (.251), opponent hitting percentage (.133) and kills (13.19 per set).

• Alaska enters the D2 West Region Showcase looking for its first ever win in crossover competition (0-8 overall). The Nanooks went 0-4 in Turlock, Calif., last year, which included a five-set loss to Hawaii Pacific.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Lost to UC San Diego, 3-2; Won at Point Loma, 3-2. Sept. 2: Beat Cal State LA, 3-0; Lost to Azusa Pacific, 3-2 (all at San Diego).

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Chico State, 8 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Cal Baptist, 3 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. Concordia-Irvine, 10:30 a.m.; vs. Cal State San Bernardino, 7 p.m.

• The defending Division II runner-up went 2-2 at the Point Loma Seaside Invitational. The Seawolves dropped a pair of five-set matches to UC San Diego in the season-opener on Friday and in the touney finale to Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

• With the two losses, Alaska Anchorage fell 10 places to No. 14 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25.

• Junior outside hitter Leah Swiss was named to the Seaside Invitational All-Tournament Team. She led the Seawolves with 50 kills, 2.78 kills per set, a .231 hitting percentage and 2.33 digs per set. She had a double-double of 13 kills and 16 digs against UC San Diego and 15 kills and 11 digs against Azusa Pacific.

• The Seawolves rank second in the GNAC with 2.25 blocks per set. Junior transfer middle blocker Tara Melton is second in the GNAC with 1.36 per set (19 total) and sophomore right side Diana Fa’amausili is third at 1.28 per set (23 total). Fa’amasuili’s 12 blocks against Azusa Pacific is the most by a GNAC player this season.

• Alaska Anchorage enters the week ranked second in the GNAC with 1.89 aces per set. Swiss ranks fifth individually in the category at 0.61 per set (11 total).

• The Seawolves are one of the most successful GNAC team in West Region Showcase competition at 11-1 over the first three years. Alaska Anchorage had won its last eight matches in the event, including all four last year in Rohnert Park, Calif.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Beat New Haven 3-0; Won at Tampa, 3-0. Sept. 2: Lost to Concordia-St. Paul, 3-1; Beat Pace 3-0 (all at Tampa, Fla.).

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Azusa Pacific, 12:30 p.m.; vs. Stanislaus State, 8 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Dixie State, 3 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. UC San Diego, 8 p.m.

• Central Washington opened with a solid 3-1 effort at The Terrace Hotels Classic. All three wins were three-set sweeps, with the lone loss coming in four sets to defending national champion Concordia-St. Paul.

• Senior middle blocker Sabrina Wheelhouse led the way for the Wildcats with a 24 iills, a .283 hitting percentage and 15 blocks. Her weekend was topped by a nine-kill, four-block effort against Concordia-St. Paul.

• Junior outside hitter Shelby Mauritson had double-digit kills in the first three matches of the tournament, finishing the week with 42 kills, 3.23 kills per set and 3.46 digs per set. She had 13-kill performances against both New Haven and Concordia-St. Paul.

• As they did for all of 2016, Central Washington enters the week leading the GNAC in blocks at 2.46 per set. Wheelhouse is sixth individually with 1.15 per set (15 total) while senior middle blocker Sarah Joffs is tied for eighth at 1.08 per set (14 total).

• Central Washington enters the week fourth in the GNAC with a .135 opponent hitting percentage.

• The Wildcats are fourth among teams receiving votes in this week’s AVCA Division II Top-25 with 60 points.

• Central Washington enters the D2 West Region Showcase tied with Alaska Anchorage with an 11-1 all-time record. The Wildcats have won 10 straight matches in the event and will be hosting a showcase pod for the second time (the last in 2015).

CONCORDIA
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Beat Westminster (Utah), 3-0; Beat Cal St. Dominguez Hills, 3-2. Sept. 2: Beat Lubbock Christian, 3-0.

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. UC San Diego, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Stanislaus State, 12:30 p.m.; vs. Azusa Pacific, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. Dixie State, 5:30 p.m. (all at Ellensburg, Wash.)

• Concordia started its first year as full Division II members with a three-match sweep at its own Concordia-Portland Labor Day Tournament.

• Senior outside hitter Lindsey Dorsey was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after she led the Cavaliers with 35 kills, 3.18 kills per set, a .170 hitting percentage and 2.64 digs per set. She had a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs vs. Westminster and 16 kills and 15 kills vs. Cal St. Dominguez Hills. Dorsey also finished with eight aces and her 0.73 aces per set leads the GNAC.

• Senior middle blocker Colby Barnette was named to the All-Tournament Team after finishing with 29 kills, 2.64 kills per set, a .346 hitting percentage and 15 blocks. The weekend was highlighted by a 13-kill, six-block performance against Cal St. Dominguez Hills. Barnette leads the GNAC in blocks at 1.36 per set and is fifth in the league in hitting percentage.

• Concordia enters the week ranked second in the GNAC with a .133 opponent hitting percentage and third with 17.91 digs per set. The Cavaliers are also third in aces at 1.73 per set.

• Concordia went 2-2 in its first D2 West Region Showcase last year in San Francisco. The Cavaliers posted four-set wins over Chaminade and San Francisco St.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Lost to Minnesota-Moorhead, 3-2; Lost at Minot State, 3-0. Sept. 2: Beat South Dakota Mines, 3-0; Beat Bemidji State, 3-0 (all at Minot, N.D.).

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Point Loma, 3 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Cal St. Dominguez Hills, 10 a.m.; vs. Notre Dame de Namur, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. Humboldt State, 5 p.m. (all at Lacey, Wash.).

• It was a tale of two days for the Yellowjackets at the Sleep inn & Suites Minot Classic, dropping both matches on Friday before knocking off South Dakota Mines and Bemidji State in three-set sweeps on Saturday.

• Freshman right side Bayli Monck led the Yellowjackets with 49 kills, 3.50 kills per set, a .336 hitting percentage and 2.36 digs per set. She opened her career with 20 kills in Friday’s loss to Minnesota-Moorhead and added a 13-kill performance in the win over South Dakota Mines. Monck is sixth in the GNAC with her .336 hitting percentage and seventh in kills.

• Freshman outside hitter Maddi Vigil also had 49 kills in the four matches to go along with five blocks. Her week was topped by a 14-kill performance in the opener against Minnesota-Moorhead.

• Montana State Billings enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC with a .229 hitting percentage.

• The Yellowjackets are 1-10 all-time in the D2 West Region Showcase and are looking for their first win since a four-set win over Chaminade in 2014.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Beat Cal Poly Pomona 3-0; Won at Cal St. Monterey Bay 3-1. Sept. 2: Beat Metro State 3-0, Beat Dixie State 3-1 (all at Seaside, Calif.)

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Cal State LA, 8 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Dominican (Calif.), 3 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. Hawaii Pacific, 10:30 a.m.; vs. Sonoma State, 7:30 p.m.

• Northwest Nazarene was one of two GNAC teams to go undefeated over the Labor Day Weekend, winning all four matches at the the Spring Hill Suites Classic.

• Senior middle blocker Madi Farrell was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after compiling 64 kills, a .469 hitting percentage and 17 blocks in the four matches. The effort also earned Farrell selection as the GNAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week. Farrell’s best effort came last with 20 kills and eight blocks against Dixie State.

• Senior outside hitter Kendra Bodine was named to the All-Tournament Team, finishing with 69 kills, a .275 hitting percentage and 32 digs. She finished with a GNAC-beat 27 kills and 12 digs against Cal St. Monterey Bay on Friday.

• Senior setter Hailey Cook also earned All-Tournament Team honors with her 178 assists in the four matches. Her high-water mark was a 57-assist performance against Cal St. Monterey Bay.

• Farrell leads the GNAC with a .469 hitting percentage. Bodine leads the league with 4.93 kills per set and Cook leads in assists at 12.71 per set. As a team, NNU leads the GNAC in kills per set (14.93) and assists per set (14.50).

• Despite the four wins, Northwest Nazarene continues to sit just outside the AVCA Division II Top-25. The Crusaders are third among teams receiving votes with 61.

• Northwest Nazarene has a 10-2 record in the D2 West Region Showcase. The Crusaders went 4-0 in matches at La Jolla, Calif., last year.

SAINT MARTIN’S
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Lost to St. Cloud St., 3-0; Beat Fresno Pacific, 3-0. Sept. 2: Beat Adelphi, 3-2; Beat Cal State San Marcos, 3-0.

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Humboldt State, 8 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Point Loma, 3 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. Notre Dame de Namur, 10:30 a.m.; vs. Cal St. Dominguez Hills, 7:30 p.m.

• After finishing 2016 with just six wins, Saint Martin’s three of four matches at the CSUSM Cougar Classic. After an opening loss to St. Cloud St., the Saints won three straight matches.

• Senior outside hitter Rebecca Mitchell was named to the All-Tournament Team after leading the Saints with 57 kills, 44 digs and seven blocks. She came alive for a double-double of 20 kills and 18 digs in the five-set win over Adelphi and had 21 kills and 11 digs against Cal St. San Marcos. Mitchell ranks fourth in the GNAC with 4.07 kills per set.

• Junior outside hitter Rachel Gondrezick also earned All-Tournament Team honors after finished with 52 kills, 3.71 kills per set and 10 digs in the four matches. Her effort was topped by 16 kills off the bench in the win over Fresno Pacific.

• Senior setter Nicolette Nesbitt made it a trio of Saints on the All-Tournament Team with 150 assists. She had 49 assists against Adelphi and 45 against Cal St. San Marcos. Nesbitt is currently third in the GNAC with 10.71 assists per set.

•Saint Martin’s enters the week leading the GNAC with a .123 opponent’s hitting percentage. The Saints are third in the GNAC in assists (12.21 per set) and tied for third in blocks (2.00 per set).

• Saint Martin’s went 4-0 in its first year in the D2 West Region Showcase, sweeping all four matches in Hayward, Calif., in 2016.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
LAST WEEK: Aug. 31: Beat UC-Colorado Springs 3-2 (at Honolulu). Sept. 1: Won at Hawaii Pacific, 3-0. Sept. 2: Lost at Chaminade, 3-2; Lost to Nebraska Kearney, 3-0 (at Honolulu).

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Chaminade, 3 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Cal State East Bay, 10 a.m.; vs. Fresno Pacific, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. Cal State San Marcos, 3:30 p.m. (all at Monmouth, Ore.).

• Seattle Pacific took a split in its four-matcjh road trip to Oahu. The Falcons won both opening matches, beating UC-Colorado Springs on Thursday and Hawaii Pacific on Friday.

• Senior outside hitter Hannah Lautenbach led the way for the Falcons with 45 kills, a .259 hitting percentage, 38 digs and 14 blocks. She came up with 15 kills and 14 digs in the opening win over UC-Colorado Springs and had double-doubles in each of the first three matches.

• Freshman outside hitter Olivia Turner started her college career well with 48 kills and 3.00 kills per set. She came off the bench for 13 kills against UC-Colorado Springs and had 16 kills in a starting role against Chaminade.

• Sophomore outside hitter Gabby Oddo came back from a season-ending injury in 2016 to register 39 kills and 19 digs in the four matches.

• The Falcons own a 7-7 record in the D2 West Region Showcase. They went 3-1 in 2016 in Carson, Calif., beating Humboldt State, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Azusa Pacific.

SIMON FRASER
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Lost to Cal State LA, 3-0; Beat Point Loma 3-1. Sept. 2: Lost to UC San Diego, 3-1; Lost to Azusa Pacific, 3-0 (all at San Diego).

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Dominican (Calif.), 3 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Sonoma State, 10 a.m.; vs. Hawaii Pacific, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. Cal State LA, 5 p.m. (all at Nampa, Idaho).

• Simon Fraser got off to a rough start at the Seaside Invitational, going 1-3 to start the season. The Clan’s lone win was a four-set victory on Friday over host Point Loma.

• Junior middle blocker Tessa May was named to the All-Tournament Team after finished with 24 kills, a .300 hitting percentage and 16 blocks in the four matches. She finished the tournament with an effort of seven kills and five blocks against Azusa Pacific. May enters the week fourth in the GNAC with 1.23 blocks per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Kirsten Pinkney led the SFU offense with 27 kills, 2.08 kills per set and 28 digs. She had a double-double of 12 kills and 13 digs in the four-set win over Point Loma.

• Senior outside hitter Christine Howlett had 24 kills in the four matches. She enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC with a .318 hitting percentage.

• As a team, Simon Fraser is fourth in the GNAC in aces at 1.64 per set (23 total).

• Simon Fraser is 8-4 all-time in the D2 West Region Showcase. The Clan were 4-0 in 2016, which included three-set wins over San Francisco St., Chaminade and Cal State LA.

WESTERN OREGON
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Lost to Cal St. Dominguez Hills, 3-1; Beat Lubbock Christian, 3-1. Sept. 2: Beat Westminster (Utah), 3-0 (all at Portland).

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Cal State San Marcos, 8 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Chaminade, 3 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. Fresno Pacific, 10:30 a.m.; vs. Cal State East Bay, 6:30 p.m.

• Western Oregon got off to a strong start by going 2-1 at the Concordia-Portland Labor Day Tournament, notching a four-set win over Lubbock Christian and a three-set sweep of Westminster.

• Junior defensive specialist Mackenzie Bowen was named to the All-Tournament Team and was named GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after finishing with 63 digs in the three matches. She came off the bench to finish with 35 digs against Lubbock Christian. Bowen ranks second in the GNAC with 5.73 digs per set.

• Senior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson also earned All-Tournament Team honors with 52 kills, a .213 hitting percentage and 43 digs. She opened the season with 18 kills and 12 digs in the loss to Cal St. Dominguez Hills and added 19 kills and 11 digs against Lubbock Christian. Bettinson is second in the GNAC at 4.73 kills per set and 10th with 3.91 digs per set.

• Western Oregon enters the D2 West Region Showcase leading the GNAC with an average of 19.00 digs per set. The Wolves are also fourth in kills at 13.09 per set.

• Western Oregon is 4-4 in two seasons of competition in the D2 West Region Showcase. The Wolves went 3-1 last year in Turlock, Calif., with wins over Hawaii Pacific, Chico State and Stanislaus State.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Sept. 1: Lost to Concordia-St. Paul, 3-0; Beat Pace, 3-0. Sept. 2: Beat New Haven, 3-0; Beat Florida Southern, 3-2 (all at Lakeland, Fla.).

THIS WEEK: Sept. 7: vs. Cal Baptist, 3 p.m. Sept. 8: vs. Cal State San Bernardino, 10 a.m.; vs. Concordia-Irvine, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9: vs. Chico State, 3:30 p.m. (all at Anchorage).

• Western Washington went 3-1 at The Terrace Hotels Classic. The Vikings’ only loss came in three sets in the opener to defending Division II champion Concordia-St. Paul.

• With the victories, Western Washington climbed two spots to No. 10 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25.

• Junior outside hitter Abby Phelps had an outstanding tournament with 60 kills, a .267 hitting percentage, 67 digs and five blocks in the four matches. She opened with 19 kills in the opener against Concordia-St. Paul, had a double-double of 13 kills and 15 digs against Pace and finished with 13 kills and 20 digs against New Haven. Phelps enters the week fifth in the GNAC with 4.00 kills per set and eighth with 4.47 digs per set.

• Junior middle blocker Michaela Hall added 44 kills and 14 blocks in the four matches. She had 11 kills and hit .455 against New Haven and finished the tournament with 19 kills against Florida Southern. Hall enters the week second in the GNAC with a .414 hitting percentage.

• Senior opposite Joellee Buckner finished 41 kills and 55 digs in the four matches, led by 16 kills and 18 digs in the win over New Haven.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC with a .296 hitting percentage and is second with 14.40 kills per set and 12.80 assists per set. Junior setter Brette Boesel is second in the GNAC in assists with 1.00 per set.

• The Vikings are10-2 in the D2 West Region Showcase. They went 3-1 last year in Rohnert Park, Calif., with wins over Dixie State, Sonoma State and Cal Baptist.