Wednesday, September 30, 2015

PACKING THE HOUSE: Central Washington and Alaska Anchorage put together home crowds of record proportions over the last week. The Wildcats drew a record 1,627 fans for their Thursday rivalry match against Western Washington and treated the crowd to a five-set thriller. Alaska Anchorage drew 1,366 on Thursday to the Alaska Airlines Center for their three-set sweep of Montana State Billings.
The Central Washington match is the biggest crowd so far this season in Division II. “The atmopshere was certainly electric,” said CWU head coach Mario Andaya. “The students and fans were in full force and they witnessed a thrilling match. To have standing room only in Nicholson Pavilion was as good as it gets for college volleyball at any level. We are very fortunate to have the student body and local community we have.”

CHIPS OFF THE OLD BLOCK: Once again this week, the GNAC has five teams ranked in the top-15 in Division II in blocks. Central Washington is the national leader, averaging 3.17 blocks per set. The Wildcats’ Sabrina Wheelhouse is ranked fifth individually at 1.50 blocks per set while Kaitlin Quirk is eighth at 1.42 per set. Alaska Anchorage is eighth at 2.65 blocks per set, followed by Northwest Nazarene (10th, 2.53 per set), Simon Fraser (14th, 2.51 per set) and Western Washington (15th, 2.50 per set). Western Washington’s Kayleigh Harper is also in the national top-10 individually, ranking ninth at 1.41 per set.

RECORD START: Alaska Anchorage sits one win away from matching the school record of 13 wins, set during the 2009 season. The Seawolves are off to the best start in school history, having won 12 matches to open the year. Alaska Anchorage achieved their highest ranking in program history this week, moving up to No. 8 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll.

GNAC ROLLS IN THE CROSSOVER: For the second straight year, the GNAC proved the dominant team in the GNAC/PacWest Crossover, held Sept. Sept. 10-12 in Ellenbrug, Wash., and Seattle. In their host year, The GNAC went 17-15 against the PacWest, including 7-1 record of GNAC programs against the PacWest’s top-25 ranked program. In the two years of the tournament, the GNAC has a 37-27 record against the PacWest. In 2016, the crossover will expand to include the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Rachel Roeder, Western Washington
OH • 6-1 • Senior • Sammamish, Wash.

Roeder became a three-time winner after she led the Vikings to two road victories with 36 kills, eight digs and six blocks. She had 17 kills in Western Washington’s five-set marathon at Central Washington and then finished with 19 kills and a .294 hitting percentage in a five-set win at Northwest Nazarene. Also Nominated: Kendra Bodine (Northwest Nazarene), Sam Harthun (Alaska), Ashley Jibby (Concordia), Julia Mackey (Alaska Anchorage), Kaitlin Quirk (Central Washington), Ashlynn Ward (Montana State Billings).

DEFENSIVE
Kayleigh Harper, Western Washington
MB • 6-3 • Freshman • Oak Harbor, Wash.

Harper was the complete package for Western Washington, finishing with 19 blocks, 20 kills and a .444 hitting percentage in five-set road wins at Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene. She had 10 kills and six blocks at Central Washington and also had 10 kills and 13 blocks (one short of GNAC single match record) at NNU. Harper is ranked third in the GNAC with 1.41 blocks per set. Also Nominated: Britt Beyer (Concordia), Caitlin Hanson (Alaska Anchorage), Elayna Rice (Northwest Nazarene).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska continues to look for their first victory of the season. The Nanooks opened the week with a four-set loss to cross-state rival Alaska Anchorage before taking a four-set loss to Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• The matches against Alaska Anchorage marked the eighth and ninth time in 11 matches that Alaska has gone more than three sets.

• Senior outside hitter Sam Harthun added 30 kills and 20 digs to her ledger, which included a double-double of 15 kills and 14 digs against Montana State Billings. The 30 kills runs her career total to 1,254 kills, solidifying her No. 2 spot on the Alaska all-time list. She is No. 13 on the GNAC all-time list, one kill behind No. 12 Cammy Dranginis (NNU, 2006-09). Harthun enters the week ranked third in the GNAC with 3.38 kills per set.

• Sophomore setter Dylan Branch came off the bench for a career best 16 assists against Montana State BIllings, while freshman outside hitter Amberly Jeane had 11 of her 20 kills for the week in the same match.

• Sophomore middle blocker Riley Podowicz leads the GNAC and is 17th in Division II with her average of 0.55 aces per set. She posted a season-high five aces against Montana State Billings. Senior setter Miranda Grieser is fourth in the GNAC with 0.40 aces per set. She had two last week against Alaska Anchorage.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• With their victories over Alaska and Montana State Billings, Alaska Anchorage ran their record season-opening win streak to 12 matches, surpassing to 10 straight wins amassed by the 1988 season. The Seawolves needed one win to surpass the all-time win streak of 13 matches set by the 2009 squad.

• The wins have allowed to Seawolves to climb to No. 8 in the latest AVCA Division II Coaches Poll, the highest ever national ranking for the program. The voting included one first place vote.

• The Seawolves finished with a .410 hitting percentage (44 kills, 10 errors, 83 attempts) in their victory over Alaska on Tuesday. The performance is the Seawolves’ best hitting percentage in the rally scoring era (2001 to present) and is the highest in GNAC history for a four-set match. (Previous Record: .407 (66-16-123), Alaska vs. Western Oregon, Oct. 31, 2009).

• The 1,366 fans who watched Alaska Anchorage play Montana State Billings on Saturday set a new single match attendance record. The previous record was 1,200 in the first night match played at the Alaska Airlines Center against LIU Post on Sept. 5, 2014.

• Senior outside hitter Katelynn Zanders added 24 kills to her career total, topped by 16 kills against Alaska. Zanders sits No. 3 on the UAA all-time list and No. 17 on the GNAC all-time list with her 1,192 kills. Zanders enters the week leading the GNAC and 26th in Division II with 4.07 kills per set. She also leads the GNAC and is 18th in Division II with 4.76 points per set.

• Senior right side Julia Mackey finished with 24 kills and a .529 hitting percentage (24 kills, 2 errors, 34 attempts) in the two matches. She enters the week leading the GNAC and 33rd in Division II at .366.

• Junior Morgan Hooe moved into No. 7 on the Alaska Anchorage all-time list with 66 assists in the two matches, 33 each in both matches. Hooe currently leads the GNAC and 28th in Division II at 10.84 assists per set.

• As a team, Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC with a .295 hitting percentage, 13.65 kills per set and 12.70 assists per set. The Seawolves are also second in opponent hitting percentage (.103) and blocks (2.65 per set) and third in aces (1.53 per set).

• In the NCAA Division II statistics, the Seawolves are first in win/loss percentage (one of five Division II teams still undefeated), sixth in hitting percentage (.295), eighth in blocks per set (2.65), 26th in team total blocks (114), 30th in kills per set (13.65) and opponent hitting percentage (.128) and 34th in aces per set (1.83).

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington enters the week third in the GNAC standings after a pair of hard-fought home matches. The Wildcats treated fans to a battle on Thursday against cross-state rival Western Washington, losing in five sets. Central then came back from a 2-1 deficit to Simon Fraser on Saturday, rebounding to win in five sets.

• Thursday’s match against Western Washington drew 1,687 fans, setting a school single-match attendance record. It is also the most fans for a Division II match this season.

• Senior outside hitter Linden Firethorne finished with 26 kills, 28 digs and four blocks in the two matches last week, led by a double-double of 17 kills and 21 digs against Western Washington. Firethorne enters the week ranked second in the GNAC with 3.64 kills per set and 4.06 per set.

• The Wildcats enters the week as the top blocking team in the nation, leading Division II with 3.17 blocks per set. The Wildcats are second in the nation at 136.5 total blocks. Sophomore Sabrina Wheelhouse is fifth in Division II with 1.50 blocks per set while senior Kaitlin Quirk is eighth with 1.42 blocks per set. The duo is ranked first and second in the GNAC.

• In addition to her work in the blocking department, Wheelhouse is ranked second in the GNAC and 42nd in Division II with a .357 hitting percentage. She is also ranked 24th in Division II with 60 total blocks.

• Junior setter Catie Fry added 99 assists in the two matches, paced by 50 assists against Simon Fraser. She enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 34th in Division II with 10.51 assists per set.

• In addition to their blocking prowess, Central Washington ranked second in the GNAC and 41st in Division II with a .229 hitting percentage. The Wildcats are also third in the GNAC in assists (11.93 per set) and kills (12.70 per set).

• After playing seven of their first 11 matches at Nicholson Pavilion, Central Washington will play six of their next eight matches on the road.

• For the third straight week, Central Washington was among teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll, picking up 17 points.

CONCORDIA
• After opening the season with nine straight victories, the Cavaliers are bouncing back after having dropped back-to-back matches. Concordia opened the week with a three-set loss at Seattle Pacific before rebounding to beat Saint Martin’s on the road in three matches.

• Senior outside hitter Ashley Jibby led Concordia with 24 kills, 22 digs, four blocks and a .212 hitting percentage in the two matches. She posted a double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs in both matches. Jibby leads the Cavaliers with 110 kills and an average of 2.75 kills per set.

• Junior setter Jenessa Taylor finished with 59 assists in the two matches, paced by 34 in the three-set sweep of Saint Martin’s. Taylor enters the week ranked third in the GNAC with an average of 10.25 assists per set.

•  As a team, the Cavaliers are second in the GNAC with an average of 1.70 aces per set. Jenessa Taylor is ranked sixth in the GNAC individually while sophomore opposite Lindsey Dorsey is ninth at 0.35 aces per set.

• Senior defensive specialist Shantel Gritsch leads the GNAC with an average of 5.82 digs per set. She added 34 last week, topped by an 18-dig performance at Saint Martin’s. If she were eligible for the Division II statistics, Gritsch would rank 10th nationally.

• Concordia continues to lead the GNAC with a .103 opponent’s hitting percentage. If they were eligible for listing in the Division II statistics, the Cavaliers would rank ninth. Concordia also ranks second in the GNAC in digs (17.15 per set) and fourth in hitting percentage (.208), assists (11.57 per set) and kills (12.43 per set).

• Concordia is in the second year of their three-year transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. As such, the Cavaliers are not eligible for postseason competition or listing in the Division II statistics.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• The Yellowjackets rebounded from losing their opening two GNAC matches to split in the second weekend in the 49th state. Montana State Billings dropped a three-set match at Alaska Anchorage before taking a four-set match on Saturday over Alaska.

• Against the Nanooks, the Yellowjackets came back from losing a 25-15 third set to hit .423 in the fourth set to take the match. In the final 39 points, Montana State Billings committed just one attack error.

• Junior outside hitter Ashlynn Ward had a another solid week, leading the Yellowjackets with 26 kills, five blocks and a .206 hitting percentage. Almost all of her offense came at Alaska on Saturday where she finished with 20 kills, five blocks and a.267 hitting percentage. Ward enters the week ranked fifth in the GNAC in kills (3.20 per set) and sixth in points (3.48 per set).

• Senior setter Kyndal Williams continues to rank fifth in the GNAC in assists with 9.31 per set. Williams added 56 to her total in the two matches last week, topped by a 40-assist performance against Alaska.

• Junior libero Kimmy Kirk enters the week ranked 10th in the GNAC with an average of 3.73 digs per set. She had her best performance last week on Saturday with 11 digs against Alaska.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene put together their second split in as many weekends. On Thursday, the Crusaders cruised to take a three-set sweep of Simon Fraser. On Saturday, they engaged Western Washington in their second five-set match in as many matches, with the Vikings coming away with the win.

• For the second straight week, sophomore outside hitter Kendra Bodine finished with 29 kills in two matches to go along with a .247 hitting percentage and 22 digs. She led the Crusaders with a double-double of 19 kills and 14 digs in the five-set loss to Western Washington. Bodine enters the week ranked ninth in the GNAC with 2.98 kills per set.

• Senior outside hitter Elayna Rice added 25 kills and 35 digs in the the matches, capped a double-double of 16 kills and 23 digs against Western Washington.

• Sophomore Madi Farrell is ranked fourth in the GNAC with a .310 hitting percentage and sixth in blocks (35th in Division II) with 1.18 per set. Farrell had 13 kills and 11 blocks in the two matches. She registered nine kills and six blocks against Western Washington.

• Northwest Nazarene is one of five GNAC teams ranked in the Division II top-50 in blocks. The Crusaders are ranked 10th and are third in the GNAC with an average of 2.53 blocks per set. Senior middle blocker Jenna Caywood has one of five 10-block performances in the GNAC this season, which she had against Cal State San Bernadino on Sept. 4.

• The Crusaders opened the season by playing 10 road matches. Last week’s matches started a run where they play four of six matches at the Johnson Sports Center.

• Miranda McConnell has the GNAC’s best single match hitting performance to date, finishing with a .667 hitting percentage (14-2-18) against Academy of Art on Sept. 10. Taylor Sherman has one of two six-ace performances in the GNAC this season, which she had against the Urban Knights on Sept. 4.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s snapped a 15-match losing streak to GNAC teams Thursday, going five sets to beat Western Oregon. The Saints has not won in conference play since defeating the Wolves in another five-set affair on Sept. 27, 2014.

• Sophomore outside hitter Rebecca Mitchell led three Saints’ players with double digit kills in the win, finishing with a double-double of 17 kills and 21 digs. Senior outside hitter Julia Wabinga added 15 kills and 12 digs while freshman middle blocker Vegas Casey finished with 12 kills and a .357 hitting percentage.

• The Saints’ luck did not last on Saturday as they took a three-set loss to GNAC newcomer Concordia. Saint Martin’s hit just .064 for the contest, led by seven kills from sophomore right side Nicolette Nesbitt.

• Junior setter Cassanda Fenton moved up to eighth in the GNAC in assists, averaging 6.71 per set. She finished with a double-double of 43 assists and 15 digs in Thursday’s victory over Western Oregon.

• Wabinga is the Saints’ leading offensive player with 87 kills and an average of 2.72 kills per set.

• In addition to seeing their GNAC losing streak snapped on Thursday, Saint Martin’s home win over Douglas on Sept. 12 snapped a 19-match losing streak that dated back to September 2014.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• The Falcons rebounded from two road losses to open the GNAC season by taking two home victories to even their conference mark at 2-2. Seattle Pacific took a pair of three-set sweeps from GNAC newcomer Concordia on Thursday and from Western Oregon on Saturday.

• In their sweep of Concordia on Thursday, the Falcons picked up their 200th all-time win on their home floor at Royal Brougham Pavilion. Seattle Pacific now has an all-time record of 201-89 at the arena.

• Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Lautenbach led the Falcons with 24 kills in the two matches, led by a 13-kill effort against Concordia. Lautenbach enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC in both kills (3.05 per set) and points (3.44 per set).

• Sophomore outside hitter Lexi Biondi added 24 kills in the two matches, paced by 12 kills against Western Oregon. Shaun Crespi and Ellie Britt each had 16 kills in the two-match sweeps.

• Seattle Pacific will be challenged by taking the Alaska trip this weekend. The Falcons will play their second match of the season against a top-25 opponent when they meet Alaska Anchorage on Thursday. When they go to Alaska on Saturday, the Falcons will look to continue a 12-match win streak against the Nanooks.

• Through their first 12 matches, four active Seattle Pacific players have appeared in all 40 sets: Breanne Wiekamp, Hannah Lautenbach, Amanda Ganete and Symone Tran.

SIMON FRASER
• After opening their first two matches of the GNAC season, Simon Fraser has lost their last three. The Clan dropped a three-set match at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, a five-set match at Central Washington on Saturday and a four-set loss at Western Washington in this week’s Tuesday night match.

• The road has not been kind to Simon Fraser. The Clan is now 1-5 in true road matches, but are 2-0 at home and 3-2 in neutral site matches.

• Freshman middle blocker Tessa May led the Clan with 33 kills, 18 blocks and a .375 hitting percentage in the three matches. May’s week was topped a 14-kill, nine-block effort at Central Washington on Saturday. She enters the week ranked third in the GNAC with a .327 hitting percernage and fourth with 1.25 blocks per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Christine Howlett added 29 kills and six blocks in the three matches, topped by a 14-kill effort at Northwest Nazarene. Senior outside hitter Jessica Young had 28 kills, with 12 of those coming at Central Washington.

• Junior outside hitter Devon May did not play in the last three matches, but continues to be ranked fifth in the GNAC in points at 3.59 per set.

• Simon Fraser is one of five GNAC teams ranked in the Division II top-15 in blocks per set, ranking 14th at 2.51 per set. Tessa May is ranked 27th in Division II at 1.24 per set while Madison Power is 41st at 1.16 per set.

• In the GNAC statistics, the Clan leads the league with 17.34 digs per set and is third in opponent hitting percentage at .161. In the NCAA Division II stats, the Clan is 13th in team attacks per set (39.22) and 28th in total team attacks (1,593).

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon return home for a pair of matches after losing two GNAC road matches. The Wolves took a five-set loss at Saint Martin’s on Thursday (their fourth five-setter of the season) before taking a three-set loss at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Alisha Bettinson led Western Oregon for the second straight week, registering 22 kills, a .130 hitting percentage and 29 digs in the two matches. She put together a double-double of 16 kills and 16 digs in Thursday’s loss at Saint Martin’s.

• Junior libero Christie Colasurdo added 59 digs to her total of 278 in the two matches, topped by 33 digs at Saint Martin’s. Colasurdo enters the week ranked third in the GNAC and 20th in Division II with an average of 5.67 digs per set.

• Setters Leila Holt and Maddie Machiz enter the week ranked seventh and 10th in the GNAC in assists at 7.14 assists per set and 6.19 assists per set, respectively. Holt finished with 23 assists in last week’s two matches while Machiz finished with 31 assists.

• Western Oregon enters the home weekend with a 4-3 record in their home gym, the New P.E. Building. The Wolves are just one win away from equaling their total from the entire 2014 season.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington is riding an 11-match win after three GNAC victories over the last week. The Vikings survived a pair of five-set thrillers at Central Washington on Thursday and at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday before coming home for a four-set win over Simon Fraser on Tuesday.

• The Vikings did not move in the latest AVCA Division II Coaches Poll, maintaining their No. 15 ranking.

• Western Washington is now 3-0 in five-set matches this season and are 7-0 in matches that go past the minimum of three sets.

• Western Washington’s has played five matches this season against nationally-ranked teams. The Vikings have a 3-2 record in those matches.

• Senior outside hitter Rachel Roeder became the first GNAC player to be named Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week three consecutive times. Roeder finished with 36 kills and a .250 hitting percentage in the two road matches, including 17 kills at Central Washington and 19 kills at Northwest Nazarene. She added 12 kills, 10 of which came in the final two sets, against Simon Fraser. Roeder enters the week ranked fifth in the GNAC with 3.19 kills per set and seventh in points with 3.45 per set.

• Freshman ourtside hitter Abby Phelps added 32 kills over the last three matches, an average of 2.29 kills per set, to go along with 38 digs. Phelps had double-doubles of 12 kills and 10 digs at Central Washington and 11 kills and 13 digs at Northwest Nazarene. Phelps enters the week ranked 10th in the GNAC with 2.81 kills per set.

• Senior opposite Jennica McPherson had 31 kills in the three matches, topped by 13 kills at Northwest Nazarene. She also had 26 digs at Central Washington. McPherson enters the week ranked ninth in the GNAC in hitting percentage (.290) and 10th in both service aces (0.34 per set) and digs (3.87 per set).

• The Vikings are ranked second in the GNAC in kills (13.17 per set) and assists (12.31 per set) and are third in digs (16.23 per set). In the Division II stats, the Vikings are 15th in blocks per set (2.50), 26th in win/loss percentage (.833), 43rd in hitting percentage and 50th in assists per set.

• Western Washington will play all of their 2015 home matches at Bellingham’s Whatcom Community College while their on-campus arena, Carver Gymnasium, undergoes a two-year renovation.