Thursday, October 22, 2015

RED HOT N’ ROLLIN’: Western Washington lost two matches to open the season and have never looked back. The Vikings have a 16-match win streak entering the week after taking two losses on Sept. 4 to nationally-ranked Wheeling Jesuit and Tampa. The win streak is currently the third longest in Division II. Lewis, of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, has the division’s longest win streak at 20 matches.

After their five-set win at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday, the Vikings are a perfect 10-0 in conference play and enter the week ranked No. 10 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll.

BLOCK PARTY: The GNAC continues to be the class of Division II at the net. five GNAC programs are ranked among the top-25 in blocking while six conference programs are averaging over two blocks per set. Central Washington leads the nation with an average of 2.90 blocks per set. The Wildcats have two players ranked in the top-20. Kaitlin Quirk is fourth with 1.43 blocks per set and Sabrina Wheelhouse is 19th with 1.26 blocks per set.

RECORD EFFORTS: Conference teams have broken three individual match records this season. Alaska Anchorage’s .410 hitting percentage against Alaska on Sept. 22 set a record for kill percentage in four sets. That bettered the mark of .407 which Alaska set against Western Oregon on Oct. 31, 2009.

Western Washington finished with 20 blocks at Northwest Nazarene on Sept. 26, bettering the mark of 19.5 in a five-set match by Central Washington againsy Cal State San Bernadino on Nov. 18, 2005. In the same match, Kayleigh Harper registered 13 blocks, tying the GNAC record for a five-set match.

PACKING THEM IN: Alaska Anchorage knows how to put people in the seats. The Seawolves enter the week leading Division II with an average home attendance of 1,209 per game. They have two of the top-five single match attendance marks in Division II this season and set a new record with 1,837 coming to the Alaska Airlines Center on Saturday to watch the Seawolves beat Simon Fraser. Alaska Anchorage has had six matches this season that have drawn 1,000 or more fans. Four of the top-10 attendance figures this season have come at GNAC facilities. Central Washington set a school record by drawing 1,687 to their Sept. 24 match against Western Washington.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Lindsey Dorsey, Concordia
OPP • 5-9 • Sophomore • Salem, Ore.

Dorsey finished with 31 kills (an average of 4.43 kills per set) to lead the Cavaliers to road victories over Western Oregon and Montana State Billings. She finished with 15 kills against the Wolves and added a team-high 16 against the Yellowjackets. Also Nominated: Lexi Biondi (Seattle Pacific), Danielle Curtis (Simon Fraser), Linden Firethorne (Central Washington), Rachel Roeder (Western Washington), Jenessa Taylor (Concordia), Katelynn Zanders (Alaska Anchorage).

DEFENSIVE
Kayleigh Harper, Western Washington
MB • 6-3 • Freshman • Oak Harbor, Wash.

Harper finished with 10 blocks and added 21 kills with a .408 hitting percentage to lead the Vikings in road wins at Alaska Anchorage and Alaska, their 15th and 16th wins in a row. She enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and No. 6 in Division II with 1.37 blocks per set.  Also Nominated: Christie Colasurdo (Western Oregon), Vicky Gajda (Concordia), Linnea Phillips (Northwest Nazarene).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska enters the week looking to snap a five-match losing streak. The Nanooks took three-set home losses to Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday before falling in four sets at Alaska Anchorage on Tuesday.

• Senior outside hitter Sam Harthun returned to the lineup in the 49th state, amassing 39 kills in the three matches. She had 15 kills and hit .303 against Western Washington and had 16 kills at Alaska Anchorage. Harthun enters the week with 1,363 career kills, 51 short of the Alaska all-time record and tying her for fifth on the GNAC all-time list. She ranks third in the league in kills at 3.54 per set and points at 4.05 per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Riley Podowicz has seen her offensive game increase with a move to the right side in the last two matches. She had 28 kills in the three matches with 12 kills at Alaska Anchorage, She has a .259 hitting percentage and 11 kills against Western Washington. She also added three aces to her GNAC leading total of 36. She entered the week ranked 18th in Division II with 0.56 aces per set and 32nd in total aces.

• As a team, Alaska leads the GNAC and is 30th in Division II with 1.88 aces per set. In addition to Podowitz, Miranda Grieser is fourth in the GNAC with 0.37 aces per set and Harthun is fifth with 0.34 aces per set.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage went 2-1 in a series of three home matches. The Seawolves lost a five-set thriller with Western Washington on Thursday. They came back to take a three-set sweep from Simon Fraser on Saturday and a four-set win from Alaska on Tuesday.

• Against Western Washington, the Seawolves rebounded from two sets down to force the deciding fifth frame. Alaska Anchorage won the third set 25-15 and his .173 for the match led by 17 kills and five blocks by Erin Braun.

• The split dropped Alaska Anchorage to No. 13 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll. The No. 7 ranking the Seawolves had on Oct. 5 was the highest in school history.

• Senior outside hitter Katelynn Zanders paced Alaska Anchorage once again with 34 kills and 38 digs in the three matches. She came up with a double-double of 16 kills and 14 digs in the loss to Western Washington and had 13 kills and a .462 hitting percentage agaist Alaska. Zanders enters the week leading the GNAC and ranking 45th in Division II with 3.75 kills per set. She also leads the GNAC and is 30th in Division II with 4.43 points per set.

• Zanders led five UAA players who had double digit kills in the three matches. Julia Mackey finished with 31 kills and a .271 hitting percentage, led by 13 kills against Simon Fraser. Caitlin Hanson and Erin Braun each had 26 kills while Leah Swiss slammed home 23.

• Setter Morgan Hooe enters the week second in the GNAC and 28th in Division II in assists, averaging 10.52 per set. She finished with 118 assists in the three matches, topped by 51 against Western Washington. Hooe now has 2,049 career assists, ranking her No. 6 on the UAA all-time list.

• As a team, Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC in hitting percentage (.263) and opponent hitting percentage (.121) and is second in kills (13.33 per set), assists (12.43 per set) and aces (1.54).

• In the Division II statistics, the Seawolves are one of five GNAC teams ranked in the top-25 in blocking, in seventh with 2.68 per set. They also rank ninth in win/loss percentage (.889), 12th in hitting percentage, 21st in opponent hitting percentage, 24th in team total blocks (174.5) and 38th in kills per set.

• Alaska Anchorage enters the week leading Division II in average attendance with 1,209 per game. The Seawolves set another attendance record with 1,748 fans at the Western Washington match on Thursday and promptly broke it with 1,837 fans in Saturday’s match against Simon Fraser. To date, UAA has hosted five record crowds and has three of the top five crowds in Division II this season The previous record was 1,200 in the first night match played at the Alaska Airlines Center against LIU Post on Sept. 5, 2014.

• The Seawolves finished with a .410 hitting percentage (44 kills, 10 errors, 83 attempts) in their victory over Alaska on Sept. 22. The performance is the Seawolves’ best hitting percentage in the rally scoring era (2001 to present) and is the highest in GNAC history for a four-set match. (Previous Record: .407 (66-16-123), Alaska vs. Western Oregon, Oct. 31, 2009).

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• With their two weekend victories, Central Washington finds themselves entering the second half of the GNAC season tied for third with Northwest Nazarene at 8-2. The Wildcats scored road wins over Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday, both in three sets.

• For the sixth straight week, Central Washington was among teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Wildcats received 22 points for the third consecutive week.

• Senior outside hitter Linden Firethorne had another big week for the Wildcats, finishing with 21 kills and a .390 hitting percentage in two matches, paced by a 12-kill performance at Seattle Pacific. Firethorne enters the week second in the GNAC in both kills per set (3.71) and points per set (4.21).

• Central Washington leads Division II in blocks for the fourth week in a row, averaging 2.90 blocks per set, and are 12th nationally with 185.5 total blocks. The Wildcats lead an impressive five GNAC squads ranked in the top-25 in Division II in blocking. Kaitlin Quirk is fourth in the nation individually at 1.43 blocks per set while Sabrina Wheelhouse is 19th at 1.36 blocks per set.

• Wheelhouse continues to lead the GNAC and ranks 11th in Division II with a .400 hitting percentage. She had 10 kills and a .389 hitting percentage (10-3-18) in the set with seven kills at Saint Martin’s.

• As a team, Central Washington is third in the GNAC in hitting percentage (.237), kills (12.78 per set) and assists (11.92 per set). The Wildcats are 32nd in Division II in hitting percentage.

• The Sept. 24 match against Western Washington drew 1,687 fans, setting a school single-match attendance record.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia extended their current win streak to three matches and evened their GNAC record at 5-5 with a road sweep last week. The Cavaliers scored a four-set win over in-state rival Western Oregon on Tuesday before heading east to take a three-set sweep on Saturday at Montana State Billings.

• Sophomore opposite Lindsey Dorsey was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after finishing with 31 kills, a .271 hitting percentage and 16 digs in the two matches. She shared the team lead with 15 kills against Western Oregon and led the Cavs with 16 at Montana State Billings. Dorsey enters the week ranked 10th in the GNAC in kills at 2.97 per set and is 11th with her .262 hitting percentage.

• Junior outside hitter Brenna Huwe also had a strong week, finishing with 30 kills, 17 digs and six blocks in the two matches. She topped her week with a double-double of 15 kills and 12 digs at Western Oregon.

• Junior setter Jenessa Taylor moved into the GNAC lead for assists with 10.54 per set. She finished with 91 assists in the two three-set matches, led by 51 at Western Oregon.

• Sophomore middle blocker Colby Barnette added 10 blocks in the last two matches, paced by a six-block performance at Montana State Billings. Barnette is ranked seventh in the GNAC with 1.18 blocks per set.

• Concordia enters the week ranked second in the GNAC in opponent hitting percentage (.145) and digs (16.58 per set) and is ranked fourth in kills (12.78 per set) and assists (11.80 per set).

• Concordia is in the second year of their three-year transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. As such, the Cavaliers are not eligible for postseason competition or listing in the Division II statistics.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings will look to stunt a four-match losing streak when they host the Alaska schools this weekend. The Yellowjackets took three-set conference losses to Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday before taking a four-set loss to NAIA crosstown rival Rocky Mountain on Tuesday.

• Junior outside hitter Stormy Siemion led the Yellowjackets with 32 kills and 34 digs in the three matches. She finished with 10 kills against Western Oregon and added a double-double of 14 kills and 12 digs against Concordia.

• Freshman middle blocker Taylor Albertson was Montana State Billings’ most accurate hitter in three matches, finishing with 24 kills and a .227 hitting percentage. Her week was led by a 10-kill performance against Western Oregon.

• Senior setter Kyndal Williams added 114 assists in the three matches, led by 40 against Rocky Mountain. She enters the week ranked fifth in the GNAC with 9.96 assists per set.

• Ashlynn Ward enters the week ranked fifth in the GNAC with an average of 3.29 kills per set. She finished with 27 kills in the three matches, topped by 10 kills each against Western Oregon and Concordia.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene is in the midst of a six-match win streak entering the second half of the GNAC schedule. The Crusaders improved to 8-2 in conference with a four-set win at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and a five-set victory over Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• After taking the first set from Seattle Pacific, the Crusaders had to rally as the Falcons rebounded to win the second and third frames. The Crusaders hit .210 for the match led by 20 kills from Jenna Caywood and 19 kills from Kendra Bodine. Hailey Cook had a double-double of 59 assists and 13 digs.

• Cook is one of three GNAC setters ranked in the Division II top-50 in assists, ranking 44th with 10.26 per set. Cook added 94 assists to her ledger in the two matches.

• Madi Farrell finished with 23 kills, a .308 hitting percentage and 15 blocks in the two matches, which included a nine-kill, 10-block performance at Saint Martin’s. Farrell enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 37th in Division II with a .356 hitting percentage and is third in the GNAC and ninth in Division II with 1.36 blocks per set.

• Caywood had an impressive overall week as she finished with a .535 hitting percentage in the two matches (26-3-43).

• Northwest Nazarene is one of five GNAC teams in the Division II top-25 in blocks, ranking fourth with 2.75 per set. The Crusaders lead the GNAC and are ninth nationally with 190 total blocks.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s will look to end a seven-match losing streak on the road with matches at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday. The Sainta took a four-set loss to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and a three-set loss to Central Washington on Saturday.

• Seniors Julia Wabinga and Kyra Davidson each had 19 kills in the two matches to lead Saint Martin’s. Wabinga topped her week with 11 kills and 10 digs against Northwest Nazarene. Davidson finished with 10 kills, a .273 hitting percentage and four blocks against Central Washington.

• Davidson is one of eight GNAC players ranked in the Division II top-50 in blocks. She enters the week ranked 38th with 1.13 blocks per set.She had eight blocks in the two matches last week.

• Junior setter Cassanda Fenton enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC in assists, averaging 6.87 assists per set. Her week was capped by a 32-assist performance against Northwest Nazarene.

• Saint Martin’s home win over Douglas on Sept. 12 snapped a 19-match losing streak that dated back to September 2014. The Saints then snapped a 15-match GNAC losing streak with their five-set win over Western Oregon on Sept. 24.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific took losses in a pair of hard fought home matches last week. The Falcons lost in three sets to Central Washington on Thursday and in five sets to Northwest Nazarene.

• Against Northwest Nazarene, the Falcons were set for the win after winning the second and third sets in extra points. The Crusaders, however, rallied to take the final two frames. Lexi Biondi led Seattle Pacific with 23 kills. Biondi led the Falcons in the two matches with 28 kills. She enters the week ranked sixth in the GNAC with 3.21 kills per set.

• Senior libero Breanna Wiekamp became the seventh Seattle Pacific player to reach 1,000 digs over the weekend.  She had 36 digs in the two matches to push her career total of 1,035. Wiekamp enters the week fourth in the GNAC and 38th in Division II with 5.39 digs per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Lautenbach had 20 kills in the two matches, which included 17 kills and a .210 hitting percentage against Northwest Nazarene.

• Seattle Pacific will be going for a season series sweep in their meetings with Western Oregon and Concordia. The Falcons, however, are 2-5 on the road this season.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC in digs (15.58 per set).

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser finished the first half of the GNAC season with a 5-5 record, tying them for fifth place with Concordia. The Clan split their Alaska matches, sweeping Alaska in three sets on Thursday before being swept by Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Simon Fraser hit .196 in their sweep of the Nanooks. Senior outside hitter Jessica Young led the way with 11 kills and a .300 hitting percentage. She led Simon Fraser in the two matches with a .279 hitting percentage.

• Freshman middle blocker Tessa May led the Clan 17 kills in the two matches. She finished with 10 kills and a .316 hitting percentage against Alaska. May enters the week fourth in the GNAC in hitting percentage (.311). She is also fifth in the GNAC and 27th in Division II with 1.21 blocks per set. She is also 29th in Division II with 86 total blocks.

• As a team, Simon Fraser leads the GNAC and is 40th in Division II with 17.58 digs per set. The Clan is also ranked 11th in Division II in team attacks per set with 39.08. Individually, Allison McKay is ranked second in the GNAC and 17th in Division II with 5.70 digs per set.

• Simon Fraser is one of five GNAC teams ranked in the Division II top-25 in blocks. The Clan is ranked 25th with 2.30 blocks per set and is ranked 41st in total blocks with 163.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon put an end to a seven-match losing streak on Saturday with a three-set road victory at Montana State Billings. It was just the Wolves’ second victory away from the New P.E.Building this season. On Thursday, WOU took a four-set loss at in-state rival Concordia.

• Freshman outside hitter Amanda Short led Western Oregon with 27 kills and a .317 hitting percentage in the two matches. She finished with 13 kills in the loss to Concordia and and 14 kills in the win over Montana State Billings.

• Western Oregon had five players finish with double-digit kills in the two matches. Alisha Bettinson and Paige Kelsey each had 18 kills, with Bettinson carding 11 kills at Montana State Billings. Mariella Vandenkooy had 16 kills while Sydney Blankenship finished with 10.

• Junior libero Christie Colasurdo leads the GNAC and is ranked ninth in Division II with 5.93 digs per set. She is also 30th in Division II with 403 total digs. She added 54 in last week’s matches.

• Blankenship moved up to fifth in the GNAC with a .296 hitting percentage after hitting .381 in last week’s matches. Short enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC with 0.34 aces per set.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington enters the week with the third longest winning streak in Division II volleyball. The Vikings extended their streak to 16 matches with a hard-fought five-set win at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a three-set sweep of Alaska on Saturday.

• In one of the most anticipated matches of the season, the Vikings held off a rally by Alaska Anchorage that forced a fifth set that went extra points. The Vikings hit .195 for the match and saw three players finish with double-digit kills, led by 18 kills from Rachel Roeder.

• Kayleigh Harper was selected as the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season after she finished with 10 blocks in the two matches, including six in the win over Alaska Anchorage. She also had 21 kills and finished with a .408 hitting percentage. Harper enters the week ranked ninth in the GNAC with a .294 hitting percentage and is ranked second in the GNAC and eighth in Division II with 1.37 blocks per set.

• With the victories, Western Washington improved to No. 11 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll. Ranked the entire season, the Vikings opened the season at No. 24.

• Roeder finished the two matches with 31 kills and a .324 hitting percentage. She enters the week ranked sixth in the GNAC with a .296 hitting percentage and fourth with 3.32 kills per set.

• One of five GNAC teams ranked in the Division II top-25 in blocks, Western Washington enters the week ranked 21st with 2.35 blocks per set. The Vikings are tied for ninth in Division II with an .889 hitting percentage, 26th with a .242 hitting percentage, 34th in Division with 12.60 assists per set and 42nd with 13.48 kills per set.

•As a team, Western Washington leads the GNAC in kills (13.48 per set) and assists (12.60 per set) and is second in hitting percentage.

• Western Washington set a GNAC record for blocks in a five-set match with 20 at Northwest Nazarene on Sept. 26. Harper tied the GNAC single match record for blocks in a five-set match with 13 in that match.

• Western Washington will play all of their 2015 home matches at Bellingham’s Whatcom Community College while their on-campus arena, Carver Gymnasium, undergoes a two-year renovation.