Wednesday, September 12, 2018

THREE EMERGE UNSCATHED AFTER OPENING CONFERENCE WEEKEND: By the time the first weekend of GNAC play had ended, three conference teams emerged from competition with 2-0 records.

Two of those teams basically set up the way the coaches picked it in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Western Washington and Central Washington each won both of their matches, which sets up a big rivalry match between the two teams on Saturday in Ellensburg.

Western Washington got the job done at home, scoring a four-set win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday and a three-set win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday.  The Vikings hit .290 as a team and limited opponents to a .127 hitting percentage. They won their sixth and seventh straight matches after opening the year with three losses to top-25 teams.

Central Washington, meanwhile, had to work a little harder in a four-set win at Alaska on Thursday and a five-set win at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. The Wildcats saw the Seawolves come back from two sets down to force the deciding fifth frame. Central hit .400 in that final set to leave no doubt in the win. For the week, CWU hit .211.

The third 2-0 squad is Concordia. The Cavaliers opened GNAC play with a four-set win at Western Oregon before knocking off Montana State Billings in three sets on Saturday. The victories give Concordia a three-match win streak. The Cavaliers finished with a .198 hitting percentage for the week.

ANOTHER GREAT SHOWING FOR THE GNAC AT THE SHOWCASE: The D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase has been a great non-conference weekend for the GNAC ever since the tournament’s inception and the 2018 edition was no different.

The conference went 22-22 in the three-day event, which was hosted this season by the PacWest Conference. Western Washington and Central Washington led the way with a pair of four-match weekends. The Vikings, in the top-ranked Azusa pod, finished with wins over Cal State San Bernardino, Azusa Pacific, Sonoma State and Biola. It is the second time in the five-year history of the Showcase that WWU has finished 4-0.

The Wildcats, playing in the Irvine pod that featured the third and fourth-place teams in last year’s standings, scored wins over Notre Dame de Namur, Cal State San Marcos, Concordia-Irvine and Cal State East Bay. It is the third time in five years that Central Washington has finished 4-0.

Both Alaska Anchorage and Western Oregon went 3-1. The Seawolves competed in the Irvine pod while the Wolves played in the Oakland pod.

SEVEN PLAYERS MAKE SHOWCASE ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: Led by two players each from pods featuring the top teams in the West Region, a total of seven GNAC players were selected to the All-Tournament Team for the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase, which concluded Saturday at sites in California.

Western Washington senior outside hitter Abby Phelps and junior middle blocker Kayleigh Harper were selected from the Azusa pod. Central Washington senior middle blocker Shelby Mauritson and sophomore outside hitter Makala Swart were selected from the tournament’s Irvine pod.

Simon Fraser senior middle blocker Tessa May was the conference’s lone selection from the Fresno pod while Montana State Billings freshman middle blocker Eavan Taylor was named from the San Francisco pod. Western Oregon senior opposite Mariella Vandenkooy was selected from the Oakland pod.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Kayleigh Harper, Western Washington
MB • 6-2 • Junior • Oak Harbor, Wash.

Harper finished with 22 kills and 12 blocks in two GNAC victories and amassed an impressive .533 hitting percentage (22 kills, 1 error, 38 attempts) as the Vikings won their sixth and seventh matches in a row. She opened the week with 12 kills and six blocks while hitting .500 in Thursday’s four-set win over Seattle Pacific. Harper then had 10 kills and six blocks to help beat Saint Martin’s in a three-set sweep on Saturday.

Also Nominated: Tara Melton (Alaska Anchorage), Makala Swart (Central Washington), Tori Johnson (Concordia), Maddi Vigil (Montana State Billings), Abbey Blum (Northwest Nazarene), Megan Vernoy (Saint Martin’s), Tessa May (Simon Fraser).

DEFENSIVE
Shayli Siegfreid, Northwest Nazarene
L • 5-5 • Senior • Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Siegfreid finished with 63 digs, averaging nine digs per set, as the Nighthawks split their matches on the Alaska road trip. She finished with 23 digs to lead all players in Thursday’s loss at Alaska Anchorage before coming up with 40 digs, two assists and an ace in Saturday’s four-set win at Alaska.

Also Nominated: Anjoiljn Vreeland (Alaska Anchorage), Julia Mellander (Central Washington), Callie Wilkins (Concordia), Izela Alvarez (Montana State Billings), Rachel Gondrezick (Saint Martin’s), Sierra Stultz (Western Oregon), Aubrey Stephens (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska will take to the road to break a seven-match losing streak after dropping three GNAC matches in the 49th state. The Nanooks lost opening weekend matches to Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, both in four sets, and lost in four sets on Tuesday at Alaska Anchorage.

• Sophomore outside hitter Lahra Weber led Alaska in the weekend matches with 38 kills. She posted a double-double of 16 kills and 22 digs against Central Washington and reversed that on Saturday against Northwest Nazarene, finishing with 22 kills and 16 digs. On Tuesday, Weber had 12 kills and 14 digs at UAA. Weber leads the Nanooks with 3.34 kills per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Tatum Upchurch added 32 kills in the two matches. She led the Nanooks with 22 kills and 12 digs against Northwest Nazarene and also led UAF with 15 kills and 13 digs at Alaska Anchorage. Upchurch is averaging 3.17 kills per set.

• Freshman libero Makena Overbey added 43 digs in the weekend matches, topped by her 26 digs against Central Washington. She then led the Nanooks with 16 digs against Alaska Anchorage. Overbey is third in the GNAC and 41st in Division II with 5.16 digs per set.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 11.68 kills and 16.31 digs per set with a .157 hitting percentage. The Nanooks are fifth in aces with 1.52 per set.

• The Nanooks finish out the week with a match at Montana State Billings on Thursday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage split its opening weekend GNAC matches at home, sweeping Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before taking a five-set loss to Central Washington on Saturday. The Seawolves completed a three-match homestand on Tuesday with a four-set win over Alaska.

• Junior middle blocker Vanessa Boyer led UAA in the weekend matches with 24 kills. She shared the team lead with nine kills against Northwest Nazarene and led the team with 15 against Central Washington. Boyer is averaging 2.10 kills and 0.54 blocks per set.

• Senior middle blocker Tara Melton had 19 kills and nine blocks while amassing a .368 hitting percentage over the weekend. She finished with eight kills and six blocks against NNU and added 11 kills and three blocks against CWU. Melton then added four kills and four blocks against Alaska. Melton leads the GNAC with a .354 hitting percentage. She is fourth in the GNAC and 21st in Division II with 1.21 blocks per set.

• Freshman middle blocker Eve Stephens had a career night against Alaska, coming off the bench for 21 kills. Her .656 hitting percentage (21 kills, 0 errors, 32 attempts) is the sixth best in a match in GNAC history with a minimum of 18 kills. Stephens is currently fifth in the GNAC with a .335 hitting percentage and is averaging 2.79 kills and 0.95 blocks per set.

• Alaska Anchorage entered the match with Alaska leading the GNAC and ranked fourth in Division II with 2.77 blocks per set. Sophomore middle blocker Vera Pluharova is third in the GNAC and 12th in Division II with 1.23 blocks per set.

• Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC and is 37th in Division II with a .135 opponent hitting percentage. The Seawolves are averaging 12.74 kills and 17.49 digs per set.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington was one of three GNAC teams to open conference play at 2-0 after sweeping the Alaska road trip. The Wildcats beat Alaska on Thursday in four sets and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday in five sets.

• Sophomore Makala Swart led the Wildcats offensively with 34 kills in the two matches. She went off for 20 kills and seven digs in the win over Alaska and followed that with a double-double of 14 kills and 21 digs at Alaska Anchorage. Swart is tied for second in the GNAC and 40th in Division II with 3.82 kills per set.

• Senior middle blocker Shelby Mauritson had 27 kills, 27 digs and five blocks in the two matches, hitting double-doubles in both. She finished with 14 kills, 13 digs and three blocks in the win at Alaska to go along with 13 kills, 14 digs and two blocks at Alaska Anchorage. Mauritson is tied with Swart for second in the GNAC and 40th in Division II with 3.82 kills per set.

• Central Washington enters the week ranked 10th in Division II as a team with 2.45 blocks per set. Senior middle blocker Sarah Joffs leads the Wildcats, ranking third in the GNAC and 18th in Division II with 1.26 blocks per set. She had nine blocks in last week’s matches. Sophomore middle blocker Julia Mellander had 12 blocks on the road trip and enters the week fifth in the GNAC and 42nd in Division II with 1.13 blocks per set.

• Junior setter Gabrielle Aihara finished with 100 assists and 27 digs in the two matches, hitting double-doubles in both matches. She topped her week with 46 assists and 15 digs against Alaska Anchorage. Aihara leads the GNAC and is 11th in Division II with 11.64 assists per set.

• Central Washington leads the GNAC and is 40th in Division II with a .238 hitting percentage. The Wildcats also lead the GNAC and are 19th in Division II with 13.12 assists per set and also lead the league and are 10th in Division II with 19.67 digs per set.

• Central Washington is fifth among teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25, picking up 42 points.

• Central Washington hosts Simon Fraser on Thursday before welcoming Western Washington in a big rivalry match on Saturday.

• The Seawolves will play two matches in Billings, Mont., to close the week. Alaska Anchorage plays a non-conference match at Rocky Mountain on Thursday before facing Montana State Billings on Friday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia opened the GNAC season with a 2-0 record. The Cavaliers opened on Tuesday with a four-set win at Western Oregon before taking a three-set sweep of Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Tori Johnson led Concordia with 25 kills and a .304 hitting percentage in the two matches. She led all players with 15 kills and a .367 hitting percentage at Western Oregon and 14 kills against Montana State Billings. Johnson enters the week averaging 1.97 kills per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Elyssa Rose had 21 kills and nine blocks and amassed a .325 hitting percentage last week. She shared top offensive honors against Montana State Billings with 14 kills and a .571 hitting percentage. Rose enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC with 1.12 blocks per set.

• Freshman libero Callie Wilkins had 45 digs in the two matches, paced by her 26 digs at Western Oregon. She leads the GNAC and is 22nd in Division II with 5.81 digs per set.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 12.03 kills per set. The Cavaliers are fourth in the GNAC and 48th in Division II with 17.72 digs per set and are also 12th in Division II with 39.72 attacks per set.

• Concordia is on the road this week, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings is looking for its first GNAC win after dropping both matches on last week’s Oregon road trip. The Yellowjackets fell in three sets to Western Oregon on Thursday and in four sets to Concordia on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Maddi Vigil led the Yellowjackets with 19 kills in the two matches. She finished with six kills and nine digs against Western Oregon and then led MSUB with 13 kills and 12 digs against Concordia. Vigil leads the Yellowjackets with 2.67 kills per set on the season.

• Freshman middle blocker Eavan Taylor had nine blocks to go along with 10 kills. Her week was highlighted by her seven kills and five blocks at Concordia. Taylor is sixth in the GNAC and 48th in Division II with 1.10 blocks per set.

• Sophomore setter Rylee Clarke finished with 54 assists in the matches, which included 39 assists and eight digs at Concordia. Clarke enters the week ranked fifth in the GNAC with 9.24 assists per set.

• Montana State Billings enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked 42nd in Division II with 1.95 aces per set. The team is also 23rd in Division II with 76 total aces. Sophomore outside hitter Bayli Monck ranks 20th in Division II with 20 aces while sophomore defensive specialist Izela Alvarez is 29th with 19 aces.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 11.49 kills and 14.41 digs per set. The Yellowjackets are fifth in the GNAC with a .181 hitting percentage.

• The Yellowjackets make their home debut this season, hosting Alaska Anchorage for a rare Friday match before welcoming Alaska on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene snapped an eight-match losing streak on the Alaska road trip last week. The Nighthawks took a three-set loss at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday before taking a four-set victory from Alaska on Saturday.

• Senior libero Shayli Siegfreid was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after finished with 63 digs, averaging nine digs per set. She finished with 23 digs at Alaska Anchorage before coming up with 40 digs, two assists and an ace in Saturday’s four-set win at Alaska. Siegfreid is fourth in the GNAC with 4.97 digs per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Abbey Blum led all GNAC players last week with 5.14 kills per set, finishing with 36 total kills. She led NNU with 14 kills at Alaska Anchorage and then finished with 22 kills and a .278 hitting percentage at Alaska. Blum leads the Nighthawks and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 3.39 kills per set.

• Freshman middle blocker Tayler Markland amassed a .345 hitting percentage with 11 kills on 29 total attempts, led by her six kills at Alaska.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 11.42 kills and 17.36 digs per set with a .153 hitting percentage.

• Northwest Nazarene is home this week for a pair of tough matches, hosting Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s opened the GNAC with a pair of road losses. The Saints dropped a four-set match to Simon Fraser on Thursday and then lost in three sets to Western Washington on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Megan Vernoy led the Saints with 26 kills, averaging 3.78 kills per set with a .358 hitting percentage. She led Saint Martin’s with 14 kills and a .481 hitting percentage at Simon Fraser and added 12 kills at Western Washington. Vernoy enters the week ranked sixth in the GNAC with 3.30 kills per set and ninth with a .280 hitting percentage.

• Senior outside hitter Rachel Gondrezick finished 20 kills and 2.86 kills per set. She finished with eight kills and 17 digs at Simon Fraser and then finished with 12 kills at Western Washington. Gondrezick enters the week averaging 2.73 kills per set.

• Sophomore right side Emily Gooding had four aces last week, all in the match at Simon Fraser. Gooding enters the week ranked 10th in the GNAC with 0.34 aces per set.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 11.23 kills and 14.77 digs per set with a .175 hitting percentage. The Saints are third in the GNAC with 1.63 aces per set.

• The Saints are home to host the Oregon schools this week. They welcome Concordia on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific split its opening weekend of GNAC play. The Falcons lost in four sets at Western Washington on Thursday before beating Simon Fraser in four sets on Saturday.

• Senior opposite Hailey Gaines led the Falcons with 25 kills to go along with six blocks. She finished with 14 kills and a .241 hitting percentage at Western Washington and followed up with 11 kills and six blocks at Simon Fraser. Gaines enters the week averaging two kills and 0.75 blocks per set.

• Junior outside hitter Gabby Oddo finished with 22 kills and 21 digs in the two matches. She opened with seven kills and 10 digs against Western Washington and finished with 15 kills and 11 digs at Simon Fraser. Oddo enters the week ranked 10th in the GNAC with 3.03 kills per set.

• Senior setter Symone Tran had double-doubles in both matches, finishing with 43 assists and 21 digs at Western Washington and 45 assists and 10 digs at Simon Fraser. Tran is sixth in the GNAC with 8.91 assists per set and is second for the Falcons with 3.31 digs per set.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 10.94 kills and 16.31 digs per set with a .125 hitting percentage.

• The Falcons are home for their next four matches. Seattle Pacific will host Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser split matches in its opening GNAC weekend at home. The Clan scored a four-set win over Saint Martin’s on Thursday before taking a four-set loss to Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Senior middle blocker Tessa May led the SFU offense with 28 kills and four blocks in the two matches with a .386 hitting percentage. She finished with 13 kills against Saint Martin’s and led the Clan with 15 kills against Seattle Pacific. May enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC with a .337 hitting percentage and ninth in the GNAC with 3.03 kills per set.

• Junior outside hitter Kirsten Pinkney led the Clan with her 18 kills and seven digs in the win over Saint Martin’s. She also had a .326 hitting percentage. Pinkney enters the week ranked 10th in the GNAC with 3.38 kills per set.

• Junior outside hitter Betsie de Beer added 13 kills and 18 digs in the loss to Seattle Pacific. She averaged 2.62 kills and 3.25 digs per set in the two matches. de Beer enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC with 3.07 kills per set.

• Simon Fraser enters the week ranked second in the GNAC in both kills (13.58 per set) and assists (12.84 per set). Among Division II teams, the Clan is 31st in Division II in assists per set and 38th in kills per set. Simon Fraser is also third in the GNAC and 43rd in Division II with 17.81 digs per set.

• Simon Fraser is on the road for its next two matches, playing at Central Washington on Thursday and at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon picked up a split at home in the opening week of GNAC play. After losing in four sets in the conference opener to Concordia on Tuesday, the Wolves picked up a three-set sweep over Montana State Billings on Thursday.

• Senior opposite Mariella Vandenkooy led Western Oregon offensively with 18 kills to go along with 20 digs and five blocks in the two matches. She led the Wolves with 10 kills and 12 digs against Concordia and added eight kills and eight digs against Montana State Billings on Thursday. Vandenkooy leads WOU with 2.70 kills per set.

• Junior outside hitter Morgan Haskett had 11 kills and a .291 hitting percentage to go along with 10 blocks in the two matches. She finished with eight kills and three blocks against Concordia and added three kills and seven blocks against Montana State Billings. Haskett is seventh in the GNAC in both hitting percentage (.291) and blocks (1.06 per set).

• Sophomore outside hitter Sianna DeCarli and senior outside hitter Marlie Norman each had 16 kills in the two matches. Norman finished with nine kills against Concordia while DeCarli had 10 kills against Montana State Billings.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 11.45 kills and 15.61 digs per set. The Wolves are second in the GNAC and 1.99 aces per set. Senior setter Leila Holt leads the GNAC and is 40th in Division II with 0.55 aces per set.

• Western Oregon heads north this week for matches at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington extended its win streak to seven matches with a pair of GNAC wins last week. The Vikings collected a four-set win over Seattle Pacific and swept Saint Martin’s in three sets on Saturday.

• Despite the wins, Western Washington dropped one spot to No. 13 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25.

• Junior middle blocker Kayleigh Harper was selected as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week one week after winning the conference’s defensive award. Harper finished with 22 kills and 12 blocks in and amassed an impressive .533 hitting percentage. She opened the week with 12 kills and six blocks while hitting .500 against Seattle Pacific. Harper then had 10 kills and six blocks to help beat Saint Martin’s. Harper leads the GNAC and is ranked second in Division II with 1.54 blocks per set and is third in the GNAC with a .345 hitting percentage.

• Senior middle blocker Michaela Hall finished with 20 kills and nine blocks in the two matches. She finished with 10 kills and six blocks against Seattle Pacific and added 10 kills and three blocks against Saint Martin’s. Hall enters the week sixth in the GNAC with her .321 hitting percentage and 10th with 1.03 blocks per set.

• Senior outside hitter Abby Phelps finished with 30 kills and 26 digs in the two matches. She registered a double-double of 16 kills and 14 digs along with four blocks against Seattle Pacific and added 14 kills, 12 digs and four blocks against Saint Martin’s. Phelps leads the GNAC and is 29th in Division II with 4.05 kills per set. She is also eighth in the GNAC with 12.95 attacks per set.

• Western Washington is ranked second in the GNAC and 42nd in Division II with a .237 hitting percentage. The Vikings are also second in the GNAC in blocks (2.76 per set) and digs (18.08 per set) and third in assists (12.19 per set) and kills (13.35 per set). Western Washington is fifth in Division II in blocks.

• The Vikings hit the road for two matches, playing at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before a big showdown at Central Washington on Saturday.