Wednesday, December 3, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - Western Washington University libero Samantha Hutchinson is now a five-time All-American.

Hutchinson was named to both the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and Daktronics/Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-American teams Wednesday.

She was the lone GNAC player named to the Daktronics team, which is selected by the nation's Division II sports information directors.   Hutchinson was a first team selection becoming only the third GNAC player in conference history to earn Daktronics first team honors. 

Hutchinson, who led Division II in digs this fall averaging 7.17 per set, was a second team Daktronics selection last year. 

She joins former WWU liberos Nicola Parker (2003) and Courtney Schneider (2006) as the only players in GNAC history to earn first team honors.

The WWU senior was also selected to the AVCA second team earning the honor from the nation's coaches for the third year in a row.  She was a second team pick in 2012 and a first team selection in 2013. 

Hutchinson finished her career as the GNAC's No. 2 all-time dig leader with 2,438, trailing only Schneider who had 2,695 between 2004 and 2007.

Five other GNAC players joined Hutchinson on the AVCA All-American team as honorable mention selections - WWU's Kayla Erickson, Central Washington's Catie Fry, Michelle Terpstra of Northwest Nazarene and Katelynn Zanders and Julia Mackey, both of Alaska Anchorage.

Erickson ranked fifth in the GNAC this fall in kills averaging 3.43 per set and fourth in hitting percentage (.308). She also finished eighth in blocks (0.98).  Her career hitting percentage of .340 ranks second in GNAC and school history.

Fry ranked fourth in the GNAC in assists, averaging 10.52 per set and also had 206 digs, 87 kills and 74 blocks. 

Terpstra finished the season ranked second in the GNAC in assists (10.78).  She also finished the season with 103 kills, 276 digs and 73 blocks. 

Her setting enabled NNU to lead the GNAC in hitting percentage (.221) and she contributed to NNU's No. 1 national ranking in blocks per set (2.83).

Zanders led UAA and ranked fourth in the GNAC in kills (3.44).  She also ended up second in the conference in service aces with 31. Mackey averaged 2.93 kills and also had 193 digs and 53 blocks for the Seawolves.

ALL-AMERICANS

AVCA: Second Team - Samantha Hutchinson, WWU (L, 5-7, Sr., University Place, WA).  Honorable Mention - Kayla Erickson, WWU (MB, 6-0, Sr., Gig Harbor, WA); Catie Fry, CWU (S, 5-11, Jr., Tacoma, WA); Michelle Terpstra, NNU (S, 5-9, Sr., Ripon, CA); Katelynn Zanders, UAA (OH, 5-9, Jr., Anchorage, AK); Julia Mackey, UAA (RS, 5-11, Jr., Fairbanks, AK). 

Daktronics (SID): First Team - Samantha Hutchinson, WWU (L, 5-7, Sr., University Place, WA).