Wednesday, October 10, 2018

WESTERN WASHINGTON STILL THE TEAM TO BEAT: With one half of the GNAC season in the books, Western Washington is clearly the team to beat.

The Vikings finished up the first half with a perfect 10-0 mark, closing out with a pair of three-set sweeps of Concordia on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday. The victories extended the Vikings’ current win streak to 15 matches. They have not lost since opening the season with three straight losses to a trio of top-25 teams at the West Florida Invitational.

As the second half of the conference schedule begins, Western Washington owns a two-match lead over Central Washington and a two-and-a-half match lead over Alaska Anchorage after the Seawolves were shocked in a three-set loss to Alaska on Tuesday.

Western Washington leads the GNAC and is third in Division II in blocking with 2.92 blocks per set. The Vikings also lead the GNAC and rank 23rd in Division II with a .250 hitting percentage.

WHITING TABBED FOR NATIONAL HONORS: A solid all-around week has earned Nanooks’ sophomore setter Cate Whiting selection as the Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Division II Volleyball Player of the Week.

Whiting was a driving force behind a five-set road victory by the Nanooks over Seattle Pacific on Thursday and a three-set sweep of Saint Martin’s on Saturday, finishing the week with 75 assists, 10 blocks, 12 kills and 20 digs.

At Seattle Pacific, Whiting registered a double-double of 47 assists and 11 digs to go along with six kills, a .267 hitting percentage and four blocks to help Alaska hold off a surge by the Falcons in the fourth and fifth sets to claim the victory. Against Saint Martin’s, Whiting finished just short of a double-double with 28 assists, nine digs, six kills, six blocks and a service ace to go along with a .545 hitting percentage.

Whiting is the second GNAC player this season to be honored by the AVCA as the Division II Player of the Week. Alaska Anchorage’s Eve Stephens was selected for the award back on Sept. 18.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Cate Whiting, Alaska
S • 5-10 • Sophomore • Rapid City, S.D.

Whiting finished with 75 assists, 10 blocks, 12 kills and 20 digs to lead the Nanooks to two road wins and extend the team’s winning streak to four matches. Whiting finished with a double-double of 47 assists and 11 digs to go with six kills and four blocks in Thursday’s five-set win at Seattle Pacific. She then finished with 28 assists, nine digs, six kills and six blocks in the Nanooks’ three-set sweep at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

Also Nominated: Eve Stephens (Alaska Anchorage), Shelby Mauritson (Central Washington), Elyssa Rose (Concordia), Maddi Vigil (Montana State Billings), Michaela Hall (Western Washington).

DEFENSIVE
Izela Alvarez, Montana State Billings
DS/L • 5-2 • Sophomore • Dumas, Texas

Alvarez finished with 55 digs in the two five-set matches as the Yellowjackets beat Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday. On Thursday, Alvarez finished with 27 digs to go along with three assists and two aces. She then added 28 digs and two aces in Saturday’s win over the Wildcats.

Also Nominated: Taylor Noga (Alaska Anchorage), Kyla Morgan (Central Washington), Callie Wilkins (Concordia), Aubrey Stephens (Western Washington).

ALASKA
• Alaska continues to impress, running its current win streak to five with a five-set win at Alaska on Thursday and three-set sweeps over Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Tuesday.

• The victory over the down-state rival Seawolves was the first for UAF since Sept. 18, 2010.

• Sophomore setter Cate Whiting was named both the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week and the Sports Imports/AVCA Division II Player of the Week after leading the Nanooks with 75 assists, 10 blocks, 12 kills and 20 digs in the weekend matches. Whiting finished with a double-double of 47 assists and 11 digs to go with six kills and four blocks at Seattle Pacific. She then finished with 28 assists, nine digs, six kills and six blocks at Saint Martin’s and added 34 assists and three digs against Alaska Anchorage. Whiting is ranked fifth in the GNAC with 9.55 assists per set.

• Junior middle blocker Kim Wong had 15 kills and 14 blocks while hitting .256 in the weekend matches. She finished with seven kills and 10 blocks at Saint Martin’s before adding four kills and three blocks against Alaska Anchorage. Wong is currently averaging 1.59 kills and one block per set.

• Junior outside hitter Lahra Weber led the Nanooks with 31 kills in the weekend matches. She led all players with 20 kills at Seattle Pacific, finished with 11 kills at Saint Martin’s and had eight kills against Alaska Anchorage. Weber is fourth in the GNAC with 3.44 kills per set.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 11.92 kills and 15.98 digs per set with a .174 hitting percentage.

• The Nanooks wrap the week on Thursday, hosting Montana State Billings.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage swept the weekend road matches, besting Saint Martin’s in four sets on Thursday and Seattle Pacific in five sets on Saturday. The Seawolves saw four-match win streak end on Tuesday with a three-set loss at Alaska.

• Freshman middle blocker Eve Stephens led the Seawolves with 33 kills and five blocks in the weekend matches. She led all players with 15 kills and three blocks at Saint Martin’s and then came off the bench for a team-high 18 kills and .389 hitting percentage at Seattle Pacific. Stephens finished with a team-high eight kills at Alaska. Stephens enters the week seventh in the GNAC with 3.14 kills per set.

• Junior middle blocker/outside hitter Vanessa Boyer added 29 kills in the weekend matches, finishing with 14 kills at Saint Martin’s and 15 kills at Seattle Pacific. Boyer came up with three kills and four digs at Alaska. Boyer enters the week averagin 2.38 kills per set.

• Freshman setter Ellen Floyd finished with 86 assists, five aces and four blocks in the weekend matches. Floyd finished with 29 assists, two aces and three blocks at Saint Martin’s and added a double-double of 57 assists and 13 digs at Seattle Pacific. Against Alaska, Floyd finished with 23 assists and three digs. Floyd enters the week eighth in the GNAC with 7.65 assists per set.

• Alaska Anchorage is fourth in the GNAC with 12.81 kills per set and 12.08 assists per set and is also averaging 17.35 digs per set. The Seawolves are one of three GNAC teams in the NCAA Division II top-10 in blocks, ranking 10th with 2.49 blocks per set.

• Alaska Anchorage will close out the week on Saturday, hosting Montana State Billings.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington extended its win streak to six matches with a three-set sweep at Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday before seeing the streak end with a five-set loss at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Senior middle blocker Shelby Mauritson was the leader of the CWU offense, finished with 30 kills and 22 digs in the two matches. Mauritson finished just short of a double-double at Northwest Nazarene with 11 kills and nine digs before finishing with 19 kills and 13 digs at Montana State Billings. Mauritson is second in the GNAC and 36th in Division II with 3.81 kills per set and is 14th in Division II with 12.29 attacks per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Makala Swart finished with 28 kills and 19 digs last week. She had nine kills and 14 digs at Northwest Nazarene before registering 19 kills and five digs at Montana State Billings. Swart is third in the GNAC and 44th in Division II with 3.76 kills per set.
Senior outside hitter Madison Weg had a double-double of 13 kills and 13 digs to lead the Wildcats at Northwest Nazarene. She enters the week averaging 2.81 kills per set.

• Central Washington is one of three GNAC teams in the Division II top-10 in blocks, ranking eighth with 2.55 blocks per set. Sophomore middle blocker Julia Mellander is third in the GNAC with 1.24 blocks per set while junior outside hitter Bridgette Webb is tied for fifth with 1.20 blocks per set.

• Central Washington is second in the GNAC and 38th in Division II with a .238 hitting percentage. They lead the GNAC and rank 10th in Division II with 13.58 assists per set. They also lead the GNAC and rank ninth in Division II with 14.47 kills per set.

• Central Washington is still among teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll, earning 36 points.

• Central Washington opens the second half of the GNAC season on the road at Western Washington on Thursday and at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia split its weekend matches to finish the first half of the GNAC season at 5-5, taking a three-set loss to Western Washington on Thursday before beating Simon Fraser in four sets on Saturday.

• Sophomore Elyssa Rose finished with 14 kills and a .333 hitting percentage in the two matches. Most of the offense came against Simon Fraser where she led the team with 12 kills and a .522 hitting percentage. Rose is seventh in the GNAC with a 2.98 hitting percentage while averaging 1.90 kills per set.

• Senior outside hitter Livia Strandberg led the Cavaliers with 15 kills in the two matches. She led the Cavaliers with five kills against Western Washington and then came off the bench for 10 kills and seven digs against Simon Fraser. Strandberg enters the week averaging 2.12 kills per set.

• Freshman middle blocker Katelyn Brandenberg was among the conference leaders with 12 blocks last week. She had three blocks against Western Washington and nine against Simon Fraser. Brandenberg enters the week averaging 0.98 blocks per set.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 11.19 kills and 17.24 digs per set. The Cavaliers rank fifth in the GNAC with 2.19 blocks per set. In the NCAA Division II stats, Concordia is 25th in blocks per set and 28th with 38.74 team attacks per set while freshman libero Callie Wilkins is 22nd with 5,73 digs per set.

• Concordia opens the second half of the GNAC season by hosting Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday, closing out a four-match homestand.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings closed the first half of the GNAC season with a pair of five-set victories, beating Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

• Sophomore libero Izela Alvarez was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week, finishing with 55 digs in the two five-set matches. On Thursday, Alvarez finished with 27 digs to go along with three assists and two aces. She then added 28 digs and two aces in Saturday’s win over the Wildcats. Alvarez enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC with 4.49 digs per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Maddi Vigil led the Yellowjackets offensively with 30 kills and 33 digs in the two matches. Vigil finished with a double-double of 12 kills and 15 digs against Northwest Nazarene and then led the team with 18 kills and 18 digs against Central Washington. Vigil enters the week leading MSUB with 2.66 kills and 3.12 digs per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Bayli Monck and freshman outside hitter Skylar Reed each had 25 kills in the two matches. Monck topped her week with 13 kills against Central Washington while Reed led the Yellowjackets with 18 kills and a .297 hitting percentasge against Northwest Nazarene. Monck is averaging 2.03 kills per set while Reed is averaging 1.74 kills per set.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 11.42 kills and 15.67 digs per set with a .166 hitting percentage.

• The Yellowjackets open the second half of the GNAC season with a pair of road challenges, playing at Alaska on Thursday and at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene closed the first half of GNAC play with two losses, falling to Central Washington in three sets last Tuesday and in five sets at Montana State Billings on Thursday.

• Freshman middle blocker Tayler Markland led the Nighthawks with 17 kills and a .387 hitting percentage in the two matches. She shared the team lead with eight kills and a .667 hitting percentage against Central Washington and finished with nine kills at Montana State Billings. Markland is eighth in the GNAC with a .286 hitting percentage while averaging 1.59 kills per set.

• Senior Natalie Knauf also had 17 kills in the two matches, paced by her 10 kills and .286 hitting percentage at Montana State Billings. Junior outside hitter Kayla Sale and senior outside hitter Cami Heninger each had 16 kills in the matches. Sale’s week was topped by her eight kills and 12 digs against Central Washington while Heninger was topped by her 13 kills and 16 digs at Montana State Billings.

• Senior libero Shayli Siegfreid finished with 34 digs in the two matches, which included 21 digs at Montana State Billings. Siegfreid ranks third in the GNAC and 40th in Division II with 5.35 digs per set.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 11.75 kills per set and ranks fourth in the league with 17.74 digs per set. The Nighthawks also boast a .166 team hitting percentage.

• Northwest Nazarene closes a three-match road trip with matches at Simon Fraser on Thursday and at Western Washington on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s saw its losing streak extended to 11 matches last week, dropping a four-set match with Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a three-set match to Alaska on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Rachel Gondrezick once again paced the Saints with 20 kills and 21 digs in the two matches. She led SMU with a double-double of 13 kills and 10 digs against Alaska Anchorage and had seven kills and 11 digs against Alaska. Gondrezick enters the week averaging 2.64 kills and 2.76 digs per set.

• Junior outside hitter Ililani Kamaka and senior outside hitter Megan Vernoy each had 17 kills in the two matches. Kamaka finished with nine kills and 11 digs against Alaska Anchorage while Vernoy finished with 11 kills against Alaska. Kamaka enters the week averaging 2.43 kills and 2.40 digs per set while Vernoy is averaging a team-leading three kills per set.

• Senior defensive specialist Courtney Misner had 28 digs in the two matches, paced by her 22 digs against Alaska. Misner is sixth in the GNAC with 4.64 digs per set.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 10.90 kills and 15.27 digs per set with a .145 hitting percentage.

• Saint Martin’s opens the second half of the GNAC season on the road, playing at Western Oregon on Thursday and at Concordia on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific has lost four straight matches after taking a pair of five-set losses to Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Junior outside hitter Gabby Oddo finished with 33 kills and 20 digs in the two matches to lead the Falcons. She had a double-double of 19 kills and 10 digs with a .294 hitting percentage against Alaska and had 14 kills and 12 digs against Alaska Anchorage. Oddo is sixth in the GNAC with 3.22 kills per set and is also fourth with 0.36 aces per set.

• Senior opposite Hailey Gaines added 32 kills and hit .309 in the two matches. Gaines came off the bench to finish with 13 kills against Alaska and then led all players with 19 kills and a .356 hitting percentage against Alaska Anchorage. Gaines enters the week averaging 2.46 kills per set.

• Senior setter Symone Tran was a busy passer with 88 assists in the two matches to go along with 24 digs and 10 blocks. She finished with a double-double with 43 assists, 10 digs and six blocks against Alaska and then added 45 assists and 14 digs against Alaska Anchorage. Tran is fourth in the GNAC with 9.66 assists per set.

• The Falcons are fourth in the GNAC and 22nd in Division II with 2.27 blocks per set. In addition to Tran’s 10 blocks last week, sophomore Gabi Stegemoller had nine blocks. Senior middle blocker Shaun Crespi is fourth in the GNAC and 22nd in Division II with 1.20 blocks per set.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 11.77 kills and 16.06 digs per set with a .161 hitting percentage.

• The Falcons open the second half of the GNAC schedule on the road, playing at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser split its final matches of the first half of the GNAC season, sweeping Western Oregon on Thursday before falling in four sets to Concordia on Saturday.

• Junior outside hitter Kirsten Pinkney was once again the Clan’s offensive leader with 24 kills in the two Oregon matches. She led the Clan with 14 kills and a .414 hitting percentage at Western Oregon and finished with 10 kills at Concordia. Pinkney enters the week fifth in the GNAC with 3.22 kills per set.

• Senior middle blocker Tessa May finished with 18 kills in the two matches. Her week was topped by 11 kills, five digs and a .385 hitting percentage at Western Oregon. May enters the week fifth in the GNAC with a .355 hitting percentage and eighth with 3.12 kills per set.

• Sophomore setter Julia Tays finished with 67 assists and 21 digs in the two matches. Tays notched a double-double with 38 assists and 10 digs at Western Oregon and then had a double-double of 29 assists and 11 digs at Concordia. Tays is third in the GNAC and 39th in Division II with 10.61 assists per set.

• Simon Fraser enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 19th in Division II with 13.17 assists per set. The Clan is second in the GNAC and 29th in Division II with 13.82 kills per set and also ranks 29th with 38.72 team attacks per set.

• Simon Fraser returns home, opening the second half of GNAC play by hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon saw its losing streak extended to six matches with a pair of three-set losses to Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

• Senior opposite Mariella Vandenkooy once again paced the Wolves with 16 kills and 24 digs in the two matches. She led WOU with a double-double of 10 kills and 13 digs against Simon Fraser before adding six kills and 11 digs against Western Washington. Vandenkooy leads the Wolves with 2.72 kills per set along with 3.02 digs per set.

• Senior setter Leila Holt finished with 27 assists, 18 digs and three aces in the two matches. She finished with 15 assists, two aces and eight digs against Simon Fraser and then had a double-double of 12 kills and 10 digs against Western Washington. Holt is averaging 5.23 assists per set and is second in the GNAC with 0.43 aces per set.

• Senior setter Maddie Mechiz had 22 assists in the two matches with her high of 13 coming against Simon Fraser. Mechiz is averaging 4.22 assists per set.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 11.28 kills and 15.61 digs per set with a .151 hitting percentage. The Wolves are third in the GNAC with 1.59 aces per set.

• Western Oregon finishes up a four-match homestand this week, hosting Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington continues to be one of the hottest teams in Division II volleyball, running its win streak to 15 matches with a pair of three-set sweeps of Concordia on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday

• The Vikings moved up to No. 6 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25. It is the 88th consecutive poll that the Vikings have been ranked in dating back to the first regular-season poll of the 2012 season.

• Senior outside hitter Abby Phelps led the way for the Vikings offensively, finishing with 28 kills and 31 digs in the two matches. She led WWU with 13 kills, nine digs and a .367 hitting percentage at Concordia and then notched a double-double of 15 kills and 22 digs at Western Oregon. Phelps leads the GNAC and is 20th in Division II with 4.06 kills per set. Phelps is also ranked sixth in Division II with 12.89 digs per set.

• Senior middle blocker Michaela Hall finished 18 kills, nine blocks and a .459 hitting percentage in the two matches. She finished with nine kills and seven blocks with a .400 hitting percentage and then finished with nine kills and two blocks at Western Oregon. Hall is fourth in the GNAC with her .344 hitting percentage and third in the GNAC and 18th in Division II with 1.22 blocks per set.

• Junior middle blocker Kayleigh Harper had a .588 hitting percentage in the two matches with 21 kills and nine blocks. She had eight kills and four blocks with a .533 hitting percentage at Concordia and then finished with 13 kills and five blocks against Western Oregon. Harper leads the GNAC with a .378 hitting percentage. She also leads the GNAC and is third in Division II with 1.48 blocks per set.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC and is third in Division II with 2.92 blocks per set. The Vikings also lead the GNAC and are 23rd in Division II with a .250 hitting percentage. In the Division II statistics, Western Washington is 33rd with 13.70 kills per set and 48th with 12.63 assists per set.

• Western Washington is home to open the second half of the GNAC season, hosting Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.