Thursday, October 19, 2017

NORTHWEST NAZARENE, WESTERN WASHINGTON NECK AND NECK AT THE TURN: With one half of the GNAC season in the books, Northwest Nazarene and Western Washington appeared to be locked in a hot race for the conference title.

The Nighthawks (Northwest Nazarene’s nickname as of Monday) saw its hot start to the season end in heartbreaking fashion last Tuesday at Central Washington, falling in five sets. The rebound came quick, though, as the Nighthawks dispatched Montana State Billings in three sets.
Northwest Nazarene continues to play well in nearly every aspect of the game, leading the conference in kills (13.97 per set) and assists (13.37 per set) while ranking second in hitting percentage (.248) and opponent hitting percentage (.150).

Western Washington, meanwhile, is riding the wave of a nine-match win streak and took over possession of first place in the GNAC on Tuesday by virtue of its win at Simon Fraser. The Vikings have not lost since taking a four-set loss at NNU on Sept. 16. The two teams do not meet again until Nov. 16.

The Vikings are playing just as strong as their Idaho counterparts, leading the GNAC in hitting percentage (.250) and digs (18.90 per set) while ranking second in kills (13.94 per set), assists (13.00 per set), aces (1.64 per set) and blocks (2.76 per set).

FOR THE BLOCK: The GNAC continues to be one of the top blocking conferences in Division II. The conference boasts three of the top-five blockers in Division II and five of the top-30. Central Washington’s Sabrina Wheelhouse continues to lead the nation with an average of 1.73 blocks per set. Western Washington’s Joslyn Bopray is second with 1.45 blocks per set while Northwest Nazarene’s Madi Farrell is fifth at 1.34 blocks per set. As a team, Central Washington leads the nation with an average of 3.03 blocks per set while Western Washington is third at 2.76 blocks per set.

IN THE POLLS: With its wins over Saint Martin’s and Seattle Pacific, Western Washington jumped three more spots to No. 8 in the latest AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25. Northwest Nazarene slipped two spots to No. 12.

Central Washington is knocking on the top-25 door, ranking first among teams receiving votes with 52 points. Alaska Anchorage received eight votes.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Shelby Mauritson, Central Washington
OH • 5-10 • Junior • Madras, Ore.

Mauritson led the Wildcats with 30 kills, a .272 hitting percentage, seven blocks and two aces in a pair of victories. She finished with a double-double of 12 kills and 22 digs to go along with two blocks in the five-set win over No. 10 Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday. Mauritson led the Wildcats with 16 kills to go along with six digs and five blocks in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Montana State Billings.

Also Nominated: Vanessa Hayes (Alaska Anchorage), Michele Brown (Concordia), Kendra Bodine (Northwest Nazarene), Liz Larson (Saint Martin’s), Tessa May (Simon Fraser), Abby Phelps (Western Washington).

DEFENSIVE
Sabrina Wheelhouse, Central Washington
MB • 6-3 • Senior • Eugene, Ore.

The Division II leader in blocks added 13 to her total to go along with 19 kills in two wins. She finished with eight blocks, 13 kills, a .440 hitting percentage and an ace in Tuesday’s win over Northwest Nazarene and added six kills and five blocks in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Montana State Billings.

Also Nominated: Anna Dols (Concordia), Hailey Cook (Northwest Nazarene), Hannah Neumann (Saint Martin’s), Jayme Bratsberg (Simon Fraser), Joellee Buckner (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
LAST WEEK: Oct. 12: Won at Western Oregon, 3-1. Oct. 14: Lost at Concordia, 3-1.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 20: at Saint Martin’s, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: at Seattle Pacific, 7 p.m.

• Alaska secured a split of its Willamette Valley road trip, which included a four-set win over Western Oregon that snapped a four-match losing streak.

• Freshman outside hitter Lahra Weber led Alaska offensively with 24 kills and four aces in the two matches. She finished with a game-high 17 kills and nine digs in the win over Western Oregon and added seven kills and 11 digs against Concordia.

• Freshman outside hitter Markie Miller added 21 kills, paced by her team-high 13 kills against Concordia. Senior outside hitter Maddie Davis added 26 digs, 15 of which came against the Cavaliers.

• Alaska enters the week third in the GNAC with a .217 hitting percentage and 1.53 aces per set. Freshman setter Cate Whiting is sixth in the GNAC with 0.36 aces per set while sophomore defensive specialist Jenna Hickel is seventh in the league with 4.69 digs per set.

• At 9-10 overall, Alaska has won its most matches in eight seasons. The Nanooks last won more than seven matches in 2009 (12-15).

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
LAST WEEK: Oct. 13: Won at Concordia, 3-2. Oct. 14: Won at Western Oregon, 3-1.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 19: at Seattle Pacific, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: at Saint Martin’s, 7 p.m.

• Alaska Anchorage secured a hard-fought sweep of its Oregon road trip and has now won three of its last four matches.

• Junior outside hitter Leah Swiss once again set the offensive pace with 30 kills, 3.33 kills per set and four aces in the two matches. She finished with 17 kills, three aces and eight digs against Concordia and added a double-double of 13 kills and 14 digs at Western Oregon. Swiss leads the GNAC and is 12th in Division II with 0.56 aces per set and is eighth in the GNAC with 3.76 points per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Vanessa Hayes has a solid weekend with 26 kills and 12 blocks, notching lines of 12 kills and six blocks in each match. Hayes enters the week 10th in the GNAC with her .263 hitting percentage.

• In addition to Swiss, defensive specialist Keala Kaio-Perez had 38 digs and six aces in the two matches, led by a 21-dig, five-ace effort at Western Oregon. The senior is second in the GNAC and 23rd in Division II with 0.51 aces per set. She is also fifth in the GNAC with 4.83 digs per set.

• Alaska Anchorage continues to receive votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll, picking up eight points. The Seawolves opened the season ranked No. 4.

• The Seawolves are third in the GNAC and 41st in Division II with 2.17 blocks per set. Junior middle blocker Tara Melton is ninth in the GNAC individually with 1.07 blocks per set.

• Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC and is 16th in Division II with 1.97 aces per set and is 13th nationally with 154 total blocks. The Seawolves are averaging 12.10 kills and 16.59 digs per set with a .186 hitting percentage.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Oct. 10: Beat Northwest Nazarene, 3-2. Oct. 12: Won at Montana State BIllings, 3-0.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 19: vs. Western Oregon, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: vs. Concordia, 7 p.m.

• The Wildcats have won three straight and eight of their last nine matches, punctuating last week with a five-set upset of then-No. 10 ranked Northwest Nazarene. The effort earned the Wildcats selection as the Red Lion/GNAC Team of the Week.

• Despite the big win, Central Washington still finds themselves outside of the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Wildcats are first among teams receiving votes with 52 points, 13 points behind No. 25 Saint Leo.

• Junior outside hitter Shelby Mauritson was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after she finished with 30 kills and 28 digs and averaged 3.75 kills per set over the two matches. She finished with a double-double of 12 kills and 22 digs against Northwest Nazarene and had 18 kills against Montana St. Billings. Mauritson is seventh in the GNAC with 3.49 kills per set and is 20th in Division II with 11.75 attacks per set.

• Senior middle blocker Sabrina Wheelhouse earned GNAC Defensive Player of the Week honors with 13 blocks to go along with 19 kills and a .429 hitting percentage in the matches. She had a team-high 13 kills and eight blocks and followed it up with six kills and five blocks at Montana St. Billings. Wheelhouse leads Division II with 1.73 blocks per set and 123 total blocks and is second in the GNAC and 46th in Division II with a .347 hitting percentage.

• Sophomore libero Kyla Morgan had 36 digs in the two matches, which included 20 against Northwest Nazarene. She enters the week fourth in the GNAC with 4.85 digs per set.

• Central Washington leads Division II with 3.03 blocks per set and is second with 215 total team blocks. The Wildcats lead the GNAC with a .148 opponent hitting percentage while averaging 12.73 kills and 17.48 digs per set.

CONCORDIA
LAST WEEK: Oct. 13: Lost to Alaska Anchorage, 3-1. Oct. 14: Beat Alaska, 3-1.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 19: at Northwest Nazarene, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: at Central Washington, 7 p.m.

• Concordia has won three of their last four matches, falling in a five-set heartbreaker to Alaska Anchorage before defeating Alaska in four sets.

• Senior opposite Lindsey Dorsey once against paced the Concordia offense with 37 kills and an average of 4.11 kills per set. She finished with 16 kills against Alaska Anchorage and led the Cavaliers with 21 kills and a .667 hitting percentage against Alaska. Dorsey ranks sixth in the GNAC with 3.54 kills per set and fourth with 4.23 points and 0.38 aces per set.

• Senior middle blocker Colby Barnette finished with 32 kills and 12 blocks in the two matches. She led the Cavs with 20 kills and eight blocks against Alaska Anchorage and added 12 kills and four blocks against Alaska. Barnette is sixth in the GNAC with a .306 hitting percentage and eighth with 1.10 blocks per set.

• Senior setter Michele Brown continues to rank 39th in Division II and third in the GNAC with 10.44 assists per set. She had 97 in last week’s matches, which included a double-double of 49 assists and 10 digs against Alaska.

• Junior middle blocker Britt Beyer is seventh in the GNAC with her .268 hitting percentage.

• Concordia enters the week third in the GNAC with 13.11 kills and 12.32 assists per set and fourth with 1.51 aces per set.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
LAST WEEK: Oct. 12: Lost to Central Washington, 3-0. Oct. 14: Lost to Northwest Nazarene, 3-0.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 20: vs. Simon Fraser, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: vs. Western Washington, 7 p.m.

• Montana State Billings had lost their last four matches, all of which have come in three-set sweeps. The Yellowjackets opened a five-match homestand with losses to Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene.

• Freshman outside hitter Maddi Vigil led Montana State Billings with 18 kills. She finished with nine kills and eight digs against Central Washington along with nine kills and seven digs against Northwest Nazarene. Vigil leads MSUB with 220 total kills and 3.34 kills per set, ranking eighth in the GNAC.

• Freshman defensive specialist Izela Alvarez finished with 20 digs and four aces in the two matches, paced by 12 digs and three aces against Central Washington. Alvarez is third in the GNAC and 40th in Division II with 5.35 digs per set and ninth in the GNAC with 0.32 aces per set.

• Freshman setter Alexa Smythe finished with 43 assists in the two matches, topped by a 23-assist performance against Central Washington. She enters the week averaging 7.91 assists per set.

• Montana State Billings enters the week with a .164 hitting percentage, averaging 11.42 kills and 17.22 digs per set.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
LAST WEEK: Oct. 10: Lost at Central Washington, 3-2. Oct. 14: Won at Montana State Billings, 3-0.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 19 vs. Concordia, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: vs. Western Oregon, 2 p.m.

• Northwest Nazarene saw it’s 16-match win streak end on Tuesday with a five-set loss at Central Washington before returning to the win column with a three-set sweep on Saturday at Montana State Billings.

• With the loss, the Nighthawks dropped two spots in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 to No. 12.

• Senior middle blocker Madi Farrell led the Nighthawks’ offense with 37 kills, 10 blocks and a .432 hitting percentage. She led all players with 24 kills in the loss at Central Washington and finished with 13 kills at Montana State Billings. Farrell leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with her .431 hitting percentage. She leads the GNAC and is 14th in Division II at 4.88 points per set and is second in the GNAC and 19th nationally with 4.12 kills per set.

• Senior outside hitter Kendra Bodine added 32 kills in the two matches, finishing with 16 kills in both matches. She leads the GNAC and is 15th in Division II with 4.21 kills per set and is 20th nationally with 4.71 points per set.

• Junior libero Shayli Siegfreid leads the GNAC and is 36th in Division II with 5.37 digs per set. She finished with 45 digs and 5.62 digs per set in last week’s matches, topped by 31 digs at Central Washington.

• Senior setter Hailey Cook had a big double-double of 60 assists and 22 digs against Central Washington and finished with 91 assists for the week. She leads the GNAC and is 11th in Division II with 11.55 assists per set.

• Northwest Nazarene is second in the GNAC and is 20th in Division II with a .250 hitting percentage. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC and are 16th in Division II with 13.37 assists per set. They also lead the GNAC and rank 22nd in Division II with 13.97 kills per set.

SAINT MARTIN’S
LAST WEEK: Oct. 12: Lost at Western Washington, 3-0. Oct. 14: Lost at Simon Fraser, 3-0. Oct. 17: Beat Evergreen State, 3-1.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 20: vs. Alaska, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: vs. Alaska Anchorage, 7 p.m.

• Saint Martin’s dropped both conference matches last week before opening a five-match homestand with a four-set victory over crosstown non-conference rival Evergreen State.

• Senior outside hitter Rebecca Mitchell led Saint Martin’s in the three matches with 32 kills. She had nine kills and 10 digs at Western Washington, notched nine kills at Simon Fraser and led the Saints with 14 against Evergreen State. Mitchell enters the week fifth in the GNAC with 3.55 kills per set and seventh with 3.93 points per set.

• Junior outside hitter Megan Vernoy finished with 23 kills in the three matches. topped by seven kills at Western Washington and 11 against Evergreen State. Junior middle blocker Liz Larson hit .333 in the three matches, which included a seven-kill performance against Evergreen State.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 12.06 kills and 17.27 digs per set with a .168 hitting percentage. Senior setter Nicolette Nesbitt is sixth in the GNAC with 8.28 assists per set while freshman middle blocker Kamille Langford is ninth with 1.03 blocks per set.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
LAST WEEK: Oct. 12: Won at Simon Fraser, 3-1. Oct. 14: Lost at Western Washington, 3-0.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 19: vs. Alaska Anchorage, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: vs. Alaska, 7 p.m.

• Seattle Pacific earned a split on its northern road trip, scoring a four-set win at Simon Fraser before taking a three-set loss at Western Washington.

• Sophomore outside hitter Gabby Oddo led the Falcons’ offense once again with 29 kills and 4.14 per set. She led all players with 20 kills at Simon Fraser and posted a 19-kill performance at Western Washington. Oddo is ninth in the GNAC with 3.39 kills and 3.74 points per set.

• Junior setter Symone Tran finished with 77 assists and three aces in the two matches. She finished short of a double-double with 48 assists and nine digs to go along with three aces at Simon Fraser. Tran enters the week fourth in the GNAC with 9.61 assists per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Nicole Tchabanov is fifth in the GNAC and 27th in Division II with 1.21 blocks per set. She added seven blocks in the match at Simon Fraser and did not play at Western Washington.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 12.12 kills and 16.57 digs per set with a .178 hitting percentage. The Falcons are fourth in the GNAC with 2.05 blocks per set.

SIMON FRASER
LAST WEEK: Oct. 12: Lost to Seattle Pacific, 3-1. Oct. 12: Beat Saint Martin’s, 3-0. Oct. 17: Lost to Western Washington, 3-0.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 20 at Montana State Billings, 7 p.m.

• The Clan went 1-2 in their return to Burnaby Mountain, breaking up two losses with a three-set sweep of Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Junior outside hitter Tessa May led the Clan with 33 kills and a .403 hitting percentage over the three matches. She finished with 12 kills against Seattle Pacific, 14 kills against Saint Martin’s and seven against Western Washington. May enters the week third in the GNAC with a .345 hitting percentage.

• Senior outside hitter Christine Howlett added 28 kills over the three matches, paced by a 10-kill performance against Seattle Pacific. Sophomore outside hitter Betsie de Beer finished with 26 kills, 11 of which came against the Falcons.

• Freshman setter Julia Tays finished with 107 assists in the three matches and enters the week seventh in the GNAC with 8.21 assists per set. Her week was topped by a 40-assist performance in the sweep of Saint Martin’s.

• As a team, Simon Fraser enters the week ranked third in the GNAC and 35th in Division II with 18.30 digs per set. The Clan is averaging 12.66 kills and is third in the GNAC with 18.30 digs per set with a .187 hitting percentage.

WESTERN OREGON
LAST WEEK: Oct. 12: Lost to Alaska, 3-1. Oct. 14: Lost to Alaska Anchorage, 3-1.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 19: at Central Washington, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: at Northwest Nazarene, 2 p.m.

• Western Oregon took a pair of losses to the Alaska schools to close out a three-match homestand.

• Junior opposite Mariella Vandenkooy was the prime mover in the WOU offense, finishing with 40 kills, 5.00 kills per set and a .277 hitting percentage in the two matches. She finished with 22 kills, eight digs and three blocks against Alaska and had 18 kills against Alaska Anchorage. Vandenkooy is 10th in the GNAC with 3.06 kills per set.

• Senior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson finished with 20 kills in the two matches, paced by a double-double of 13 kills and 14 digs to go along with six blocks against Alaska. Bettinson enters the week fourth in the GNAC at 3.67 kills per set and fifth with 4.02 points per set.

• Junior setter Leila Holt added 85 assists to her total and is ranked eighth in the GNAC with 6.67 assists per set. She had a double-double of 42 assists and 14 digs against the Nanooks and finished with 43 assists and 15 digs against the Seawolves.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 12.43 kills per set and is fourth in the GNAC with 17.92 digs per set to go along with a .189 hitting percentage.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Oct. 12: Beat Saint Martin’s, 3-0. Oct. 14: Beat Seattle Pacific, 3-0. Oct. 17: Won at Simon Fraser, 3-0.
THIS WEEK: Oct. 21 at Montana State Billings, 7 p.m.

• Western Washington is on a nine-match winning streak after posting a trio of three-set sweeps over Saint Martin’s, Seattle Pacific and Simon Fraser. Six of the Vikings’ last seven wins have been in three sets.

• With the wins, Western Washington jumped three spots to No. 8 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25. It is the 74th consecutive poll, dating back to the 2012 season, where WWU has been ranked.

• Junior outside hitter Abby Phelps led the Vikings in the three matches with 38 kills and 36 digs in the three matches. She finished with 11 kills and 17 digs against Saint Martin’s, added 14 kills against Seattle Pacific and had another double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs against Simon Fraser. Phelps enters the week third in the GNAC and 3.81 kills per set and is third in the GNAC and 30th in Division II with 4.43 points per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Joslyn Bopray had an impressive 23 blocks in the three matches to go along with 17 kills. She finished with 10 blocks in the win over Seattle Pacific and added nine more at Simon Fraser. Bopray is second in the GNAC and Division II with 1.45 blocks per set. She is also ninth in Division II with 97 total blocks.

• Junior setter Brette Boesel finished with 107 assists in the three matches, topped by a 34-assist effort at Simon Fraser. Boesel is second in the GNAC and 15th in Division II with 11.49 assists per set.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC and is 18th in Division II with a .250 hitting percentage. The Vikings also lead the GNAC and rank 16th nationally with 19.22 digs per set while ranking second in the GNAC and third in Division II with 2.76 blocks per set.