Thursday, August 18, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – They are young, they have playoff experience and now they are picked to win it all.

After winning the West Region championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II national semifinals, Western Washington is a unanimous pick to win the conference title in the 2016 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll.

The Vikings earned all 11 first place votes in the poll to finish with 121 points. Defending GNAC champion Alaska Anchorage, which lost just three matches all season, is picked to finish second with 104 points. The Vikings and Seawolves are followed by Northwest Nazarene with 98 points and Central Washington with 92 points.

The conference’s top four teams are also among the teams in the AVCA’s Division II Coaches Top-25 Preseason Poll. Western Washington is ranked No. 5, while Alaska Anchorage opens at No. 14. Central Washington was third among teams receiving votes (45) and Notherwest Nazarene received three votes.

Western Washington used a combination of experience and young, exciting talent to finish second in a tight conference race that saw the Vikings, Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene separated by a total of two matches in the GNAC standings. The Vikings proceeded to sweep through the West Region Tournament and defeat Rockhurst in four sets in the national quarterfinals before falling to eventual national champion Wheeling Jesuit in the semifinals. As a team, Western Washington led the GNAC in seven statistical categories, including hitting percentage (.251), kills per set (13.86) and assists per set (12.87).

The Vikings return five starters from last year’s squad, including three underclassmen. Outside hitter Abby Phelps was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-GNAC selection after finishing with a .231 hitting percentage and 3.01 kills per set, ninth in the league. Middle blocker Kaleigh Harper also earned first team laurels as a freshman, finishing third in the GNAC with a .339 hitting percentage and was fifth in Division II with 1.45 blocks per set. Also returning to the starting lineup is senior libero Bryce Larson, sophomore setter Brette Boesel and junior opposite Joellee Buckner.

Alaska Anchorage put together a season for the ages in 2015, losing just 13 sets in conference play to win its second GNAC championship. The Seawolves earned the right to host the West Region Tournament, but an untimely injury to GNAC Player of the Year Katelynn Zanders led to a five-set loss to Cal State San Bernardino in the semifinals. Alaska Anchorage finished as one of the top defensive teams in Division II, ranking 15th nationally with a .130 opponent’s hitting percentage.

The Seawolves lost three of their top players in Zanders, Julia Mackey and Caitlin Hanson, but return four starters who were just as critical in their title run. Senior setter Morgan Hooe picked up First Team All-GNAC and Third Team AVCA All-American honors after she finished second in the GNAC with 10.56 assists per set and led the league with 1,162 total assists. Outside hitter Leah Swiss was a First Team All-GNAC selection as a freshman as she finished with 2.63 kills, 2.64 digs and 0.53 blocks per set. Senior middle blocker Erin Braun tallied a .310 hitting percentage and 1.21 blocks per set while sophomore libero Kyla Militante-Amper registered 4.42 digs per set.

The 2014 GNAC champion, Northwest Nazarene was in the conference title and regionals conversation right up until the end thanks to a 10-match win streak and 16 wins in its final 18 GNAC matches. The Crusaders led Division II with a GNAC single season record 2.90 blocks per set. The charge at the net was led by junior outside hitter Madi Farrell, who earned First Team All-GNAC honors and Honorable Mention AVCA All-American after she set GNAC single season records with 156 total blocks and 1.49 blocks per set (third in Division II). Far from one dimensional, Farrell also led the GNAC and finished 13th in Division II with a .367 hitting percentage. In addition to its blocking, NNU finished second to Alaska Anchorage with a .148 opponent’s hitting percentage.

The Crusaders lose a trio of key starters in outside hitter Elayna Rice, opposite Taylor Van Valey and middle blocker Jenna Caywood, but will be well-served by their four returners. Junior outside hitter Kendra Bodine joined Farrell as a First Team All-GNAC selection, finishing the season with 3.20 kills per set and 282 digs. Junior setter Hailey Cook was an Honorable Mention All-GNAC pick after she finished with 1.15 assists and led the GNAC with 10.62 assists per set. Libero Jacquelyn Johnson is back for her junior season after finishing with 1.85 digs per set.

Central Washington kept themselves in the title talk in much the same fashion that Northwest Nazarene did. The Wildcats finished second in Division II in blocking at 2.87 per set while leading the GNAC with a total of 309.5 blocks. Central Washington also proved a solid hitting team, finishing third in the league with a .233 hitting percentage and 12.76 kills per set. The performances gave the Wildcats a berth in the West Regional Tournament, where they fell in the first round in a five-set loss to Cal State San Bernardino.

Of the league’s top four teams, CWU loses the most with the departure of three all-conference performers in Catie Fry, Linden Firethorne and Kaitlin Quirk. The Wildcats’ five returning starters are led by junior middle blocker Sabrina Wheelhouse, who earned First Team All-GNAC honors with averages of 3.53 kills, 2.11 digs and 0.51 blocks per set. Senior outside hitter Kiah Jones picked up Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors as she hit .228 with 2.48 kills per set. Outside hitter Madison Weg will see her role enhance as a sophomore after finishing with 1.52 kills and 0.79 blocks per set in her first season.

Simon Fraser is picked to finish fifth after amassing an 11-9 conference mark last year, marking the second time since joining the GNAC in 2010 that it has finished above .500. The Clan had weapons on both sides of the ball, leading the GNAC with 18.53 digs per set while also leading the league and ranking fifth in Division II with 40.26 attacks per set. The defense was led by senior libero Alison McKay, who was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year after she finished ninth in Division II with an average of 6.08 digs per set.

Setter Tamara Nipp returns for her senior season after pacing the SFU passing with 6.10 assists per set. Junior outside hitter Christine Howlett and sophomore middle blocker Tessa May will also be looked to for enhanced offensive production. May earned Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors after leading the Clan with averages of 2.50 kills and 1.13 blocks per set. Howlett provides 2.16 kills per set and finished with a .159 hitting percentage.

Concordia is picked sixth after finishing its inaugural GNAC season with an 18-10 overall record and 10-10 conference mark. The Cavaliers put the conference on notice in their first match as Division II members, downing No. 7 ranked Grand Valley State in four sets on the Lakers’ home floor. Concordia went on to win its first nine matches of the year. A solid defensive program, the Cavaliers finished third in the GNAC in both opponent hitting percentage (.160) and digs (16.61 per set).

The Cavaliers are led by First Team All-GNAC junior opposite Lindsey Dorsey, who finished with an average of 2.94 kills per set while amassing a .241 hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Brenna Huwe returns after earning Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors, finishing with a team-leading 3.01 kills per set and 0.66 blocks per set. Junior middle blocker Colby Barnette also returns after amassing a .240 hitting pertcentage and finishing sixth in the GNAC with 1.24 blocks per set.

Seattle Pacific is projected seventh after finishing as one of three teams in a deadlock for eighth place in 2015. The Falcons struggled to find their offensive spark last season, finishing 10th in the league with a .126 hitting percentage, but should see improvement with a young lineup that is a year more experienced. Senior outside hitter Lexi Biondi led the team with 3.19 kills per set, earning her Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors. Junior outside hitter Hannah Lautenbach averaged 2.60 kills and 2.44 digs per set while sophomore middle blocker Shaun Crespi amassed 1.70 kills and 0.912 blocks per set. The Falcons also return setter Symone Tran who averaged 8.95 assists and 2.53 digs per set as a freshman.

Western Oregon is picked eighth after figuring into last year’s three-way tie for eighth. The Wolves are one of three conference teams with a new head coach as Tommy Gott takes over a team that finished sixth in the GNAC last season in hitting percentage (.172) and fourth in digs (16.50). Western Oregon’s top returner is on defense after senior libero Christie Colasurdo led the GNAC and finished second in Division II with her average of 6.44 digs per set. She also led the GNAC with 676 total digs, 21st best in Division II. In all, the Wolves return all seven starters and 14 letterwinners from last year’s squad, including Honorable Mention All-GNAC opposite Mariella Vandenkooy, outside hitter Alisha Bettinson and setters Maddie Mehciz and Leila Holt.

After finishing seventh a year ago, Alaska is picked to finish ninth in 2016. The Nanooks will look for someone to fill the hole left by middle blocker Sam Harthun, who finished as the GNAC career leader in kills. Junior middle blocker Maddie Davis leads a cadre of three returning starters after she finished with 1.76 kills per set. Junior middle blocker Riley Podowicz averaged 1.65 kills and 0.61 blocks per set. She led the GNAC with an average of 0.43 aces per set as the Nanooks owned the top three spots in the individual statistics. Alaska also returns libero Meagan Olsen, who finished with 3.02 digs per set as a junior.

Montana State Billings is picked 10th in the poll as it begins play under first year head coach Casey Williams. The Yellowjackets finished tied for eighth last season and return five experienced starters. Senior outside hitter Ashlynn Ward earned Honorable Mention All-GNAC honors after leading the team with 3.30 kills per set and a .213 hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Stormy Siemion will be depended upon for added offense after averaging 1.28 kills and 2.40 digs per set in 2015. The offense will be further bolstered by sophomore middle blocker Miranda McConnell.

Saint Martin’s begins the season ranked 11th in the preseason poll. The Saints are the third GNAC team with a new coach as Central Washington alum Jon Killingbeck takes over. The Saints won just two matches in 2015 and will look to improve on a run that has seen them win just six over the last two seasons. Saint Martin’s will be led by junior outside hitter Rebecca Mitchell, who returns having averaged 2.22 kills and 2.64 digs per set in her sophomore season.

Conference play begins on Wed., Sept. 14 with the first of two border clashes as Western Washington plays at Simon Fraser. The 2016 season opens on Thurs., Aug. 25, as Alaska Anchorage opens a three-match Oahu road trip at BYU-Hawaii. This year’s GNAC schedule will be further bolstered by the first Division II West Region Volleyball Showcase, featuring teams from all three western Division II conferences. This year’s tournament, hosted by the California Collegiate Athletic Association, takes place Sept. 8-10.