Tuesday, December 3, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. - Western Washington libero Samantha Hutchinson and middle blocker Kayla Erickson have been voted to the Daktronics NCAA Division II West Region volleyball first team all-region team.

Both players are repeat selections from last year.  Erickson earned first team honors a year ago, while Hutchinson was a second team selection in 2012.

Their names will now be advanced to the Daktronics All-American ballot.  The All-American team will be announced Dec. 11.  The All-American selections are made by Division II members of the NCAA Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA).

Earning second team honors this season are Viking setter Taylor Dillard and Northwest Nazarene middle blocker Andrea Terpstra.

Hutchinson currently ranks second nationally in digs, averaging 6.90 per game, while Erickson ranks fifth in hitting percentage with a .385 average.  Erickson also ranks fourth in the GNAC in kills, averaging 3.68 per contest.

Dillard leads the GNAC and ranks eighth nationally in assists (11.81).  Terpstra ranks second in the GNAC in both hitting percentage (.346) and blocks (1.25) and ranks seventh in kills (3.58).

WWU's three representatives on the all-region team is the most by any school.

The Vikings are one of three GNAC teams competing in the NCAA West Region tournament beginning this Thursday at San Bernardino, Calif.

WWU (23-3) is the No. 5 seed and will take on fourth-seed Sonoma State (25-5) in Thursday's third match at 5 p.m.  Alaska Anchorage (21-9) is seeded seventh and will play No. 2 seed BYU-Hawaii (24-1) at 2:30 p.m.

Central Washington (15-11) is the eighth seed and will face host Cal State San Bernardino (25-5) in the evening's final match at 7:30.

The opening match of the day will send third-seed UC San Diego (25-5) against sixth-seed Dixie State (17-9).

Thursday's winners will advance to Friday's semifinals at 5 p.m. andd 7:30.  Saturday's regional championship game will be played at 7 p.m.

LIBERO DOMINATION: This year is the ninth time since 2002 a Western Washington libero has been selected to the all-region team.  Nicola Parker was a first team selection in 2002 and 2003 and Courtney Schneider earned first team honors three straight years between 2005 and 2007.  Allison Gotz was a second team pick in 2008 and 2010 and Hutchinson earned second team honors last season.

DAKTRONICS NCAA DIVISION II ALL WEST REGION

First Team: Outside Hitters – **Shih Ting Chen, BYU-Hawaii (Jr.,  Yunlin, Taiwan); Julie Ashen, CSU Monterey Bay (Jr., Salinas, CA); Iona Lofrano, CSU L.A. (So., Meadow View, CA).  Middle Blockers – +Brenna McIntosh, CSU San Bernardino (So., Yorba Linda, CA); *Kayla Erickson, Western Washington (Jr., Gig Harbor, WA).  Libero – +Samantha Hutchinson, Western Washington (Jr., University Place, WA).  Setter – +Ying Chun Chen, BYU-Hawaii (Jr., Kaohsiung, Taiwan).   

Second Team: Outside Hitters – Caylie Seitz, Sonoma State (So., Santa Rosa, CA); Kelsey Hull, Sonoma State (Jr., Valley Springs, CA); *Alex Shurtz, Chico State (Sr., Moraga, CA).  Middle Blockers – Tori May, CSU San Bernardino (Jr., Redlands, CA); Andrea Terpstra, Northwest Nazarene (Jr., Ripon, CA).  Libero – Brittany Lombardi, UC San Diego (Sr., Carmel, CA).  Setter – Torrey Thompson, Chico State (Fr., Newport Beach, CA); Taylor Dillard, Western Washington (Jr., Milton, WA).

West Region Player of the Year – Shih Ting Chen, BYU-Hawaii.

**First team in 2011 & 2012.  *First team in 2012  +Second team in 2012