Wednesday, October 3, 2018

PHELPS ADVANCES ON ALL-TIME LISTS: It was a banner night last Saturday for Western Washington senior Abby Phelps last Saturday as she became the school’s all-time leader in kills.

Phelps finished the Saturday match against Montana State Billings with 1,387 kills, surpassing the 1,379 smashed by Meghan Evoy from 2001 to 2004. The milestone also puts Phelps at No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list and within striking distance of No. 6 on the list (1,392 by Katelynn Zanders of Alaska Anchorage, 2012-15).

The kills list is not the only one that Phelps is climbing her way up on. She is No. 2 on the GNAC all-time attacks list with 4,269 and is on pace to surpass the record of 4,408 set by Northwest Nazarene’s Kendra Bodine last year. Phelps is also No. 11 on the GNAC’s all-time digs list with 1.625.

NOT THE ONLY ONE: Phelps is not the only player who is making advances on the conference’s all-time list.

Western Washington junior Kayleigh Harper finds herself at No. 3 on the all-time list for hitting percentage at .348. She is also No. 4 on the all-time blocks per set list at 1.30 per set and is tied for 10th with her 67 solo blocks. Senior setter Brette Boesel sits at No. 12 on the all-time assists list with 3,598.

Seattle Pacific senior Shaun Crespi enters this week at No. 6 on the GNAC all-time blocks per set list at 1.19 and is No. 8 in block assists with 337. Her Falcons’ teammate, Symone Tran, is No. 11 on the assists list at 3,633.

Simon Fraser senior Tessa May enters the week at No. 7 on the GNAC hitting percentage list at .318. She is No. 9 on the blocks list at 392 and could become just the eighth player in conference history with 400 or more blocks this weekend. May is also No. 10 with 326 block assists.

AT THE MIDWAY POINT: Seven GNAC teams stand a chance at records of .500 or better at the end of the first half of GNAC play. Four teams are assured of being at or above the .500 line: Western Washington (8-0), Central Washington (8-1), Alaska Anchorage (6-2) and Seattle Pacific (5-3). Both Simon Fraser and Concordia enter the week with 4-4 conference marks while Northwest Nazarene will look for a win over Montana State Billings on Thursday to finish at 5-5.

ALASKA SWEEPS TO TEAM OF THE WEEK HONOR: It was a special week for Alaska volleyball as the Nanooks picked up a pair of three-set sweeps against visiting Western Oregon and Concordia over the weekend.

It was the first time in 14 seasons that the program posted back-to-back GNAC sweeps at home, the last time coming in October of 2004 (vs. Northwest Nazarene and Seattle). The pair of victories earned UAF the selection as GNAC Team of the Week.

Head coach Brian Scott’s team was led by sophomore setter Cate Whiting, who recorded 66 assists and 14 digs across the two matches. Whiting is the team-leader in assists and is currently ranked in the top-five in the GNAC.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Abby Phelps, Western Washington
OH • 5-10 • Senior • Manson, Wash.

Phelps became the all-time kills leader at Western Washington as she finished 37 kills and 28 digs in two wins, averaging 4.62 kills per set. She finished with 27 kills, 15 digs and three blocks in the Vikings’ five-set win at Simon Fraser on Tuesday and then surpassed the WWU all-time kills mark with 10 kills in Saturday’s three-set sweep of Montana State Billings. The two performances were her 13th and 14th double-doubles of the season.

Also Nominated: Ellen Floyd (Alaska Anchorage), Shelby Mauritson (Central Washington), Hailey Gaines (Seattle Pacific), Julia Tays (Simon Fraser), Sophie Hall (Western Oregon).

DEFENSIVE
Kyla Morgan, Central Washington
DS/L • 5-4 • Junior • Graham, Wash.

Morgan averaged 6.86 digs per set (48 total) as the Wildcats improved to 13-2 on the season and extended their current win streak to four matches. She came up with 21 digs and a service ace in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Saint Martin’s and then added 27 digs, five assists and an ace in Saturday’s four-set win over Seattle Pacific.

Also Nominated: Taylor Noga (Alaska Anchorage), Sierra Stultz (Western Oregon), Aubrey Stephens (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• For the first time since 2004, Alaska completed a home sweep of weekend opponents, beating Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday in three-sets.

• For its solid home court efforts, the Nanooks were selected as the GNAC Team of the Week.

• Sophomore outside hitter Lahra Weber paced the offensive performance with 26 kills, 12 digs and five blocks in the two matches. She finished with 11 kills, four digs and two blocks against Western Oregon and then led all players with 15 kills, eight digs and three blocks against Concordia. Weber is fourth in the GNAC with 3.42 kills per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Tatum Upchurch shared top honors with Weber against Western Oregon as she posted a double-double of 11 kills and 11 digs. Upchurch enters the week averaging 2.88 kills per set.

• Freshman libero Makena Overbey finished with 34 digs in the six sets. She finished with 19 digs and four assists against Western Oregon and added 15 digs, four assists and three aces against Concordia. Overbey is fourth in the GNAC with 5.02 digs per set.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 11.81 kills and 16.21 digs per set with a .162 hitting percentage.

• The Nanooks are in the Puget Sound region this weekend, playing at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage took both matches against the Oregon schools at home last week, beating Concordia in three sets on Thursday and Western Oregon in four sets on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Chrisalyn Johnson had a big week, leading the Seawolves with 11 kills and 33 digs in the two matches. She had a double-double of 13 kills and 13 digs against Concordia and added nine kills and 20 digs against Western Oregon. Johnson enters the week averaging 2.92 kills and 3.27 digs per set.

• Junior middle blocker/outside hitter Vanessa Boyer also had 22 kills and added 10 digs and five blocks in the weekend matches. Boyer finished with eight kills and seven digs against Concordia before leading the Seawolves with 14 kills against Western Oregon. Boyer is averaging 2.32 kills per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Vera Pluharova added 11 blocks to her total last week, led by her seven blocks against Western Oregon on Saturday. Pluharova is second in the GNAC and 11th in Division II with 1.29 blocks per set. In addition to Pluharova, senior Tara Melton is seventh in the GNAC and 35th in Division II with 1.13 blocks per set. As a team, Alaska Anchorage is ninth in Division II with 2.58 blocks per set.

• Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC and is 47th in Division II with a .140 opponent hitting percentage. The Seawolves are fourth in the GNAC with a .205 hitting percentage and are ranked 47th in Division II with 17.94 digs per set. In addition, UAA is 15th in Division II with 160 total blocks.

• Alaska Anchorage closes the first half of the GNAC season on the road, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington has won five straight matches, and 12 of their last 13, after beating Saint Martin’s in three sets on Thursday, Seattle Pacific in four sets on Saturday and Northwest Nazarene in three sets on Tuesday.

• Junior libero Kyla Morgan was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after she finished with 48 digs in the to matches, averaging 6.86 digs per set. Morgan finished with 21 digs against Saint Martin’s and then had 27 digs to go along with five assists against Seattle Pacific. Morgan leads the GNAC and is 16th in Division II with 5.89 digs per set.

• Senior middle blocker Shelby Mauritson once again paced the CWU offense with 26 kills in the weekend matches. She finished with a double-double of 13 kills and 10 digs against Saint Martin’s and added another 13 kills against Seattle Pacific. At Northwest Nazarene, Mauritson had 11 kills. Mauritson enters the week second in the GNAC and 39th in Division II with 3.81 kills per set. She is also 11th in Division II with 12.57 attacks per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Makala Swart led the Wildcats with 15 kills and 14 digs against Saint Martin’s. Senior outside hitter Madison Weg then led the team with 17 kills, 11 digs and seven blocks against Seattle Pacific and with 13 kills against Northwest Nazarene. Swart is third in the GNAC and 40th in Division II with 3.80 kills per set.

• Central Washington is one of three GNAC teams in the Division II top-10 in blocks, ranking seventh with 2.61 blocks per set. Sophomore middle blocker Julia Mellander is fourth in the GNAC and 18th in Division II with 1.24 blocks per set while senior middle blocker Sarah Joffs is sixth in the GNAC and 32nd in Division II with 1.13 blocks per set.

• The Wildcats lead the GNAC and rank fifth in Division II with 14.59 kills per set. Central Washington is second in the league and 42nd in Division II with a .234 hitting percentage.

• Central Washington is now third among teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll, earning 53 points.

• Central Washington closes out the week with a match at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia dropped both matches in Alaska last week, taking three-set losses to Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Livia Strandberg led the Cavaliers with 11 kills in the two matches. She finished with four kills at Alaska Anchorage and added seven kills at Alaska. Strandberg enters the week averaging 2.12 kills per set.

• Senior defensive specialist Faith Bowman had 23 digs in the two matches. She finished with six digs at Alaska Anchorage and then had 17 digs to go with three assists at Alaska. Bowman enters the week averaging 2.39 digs per set.

• Junior outside hitter Jessica Wheeler finished with nine kills in the two matches while freshman middle blocker Katelyn Brandenberg, sophomore middle blocker Elyssa Rose and senior outside hitter Tori Johnson each had eight kills.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 11.39 kills per set. The Cavaliers rank 31st in Division II with 38.59 team attacks per set and rank fifth in the GNAC with 2.08 blocks per set.

• Concordia is home to close the first half of the GNAC season, hosting Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings took a pair of three-set losses last week on the road, falling at Simon Fraser on Friday and at Western Washington on Saturday.

• Freshman outside hitter Riley Moore led the Yellowjackets with 12 kills in the two matches. She shared top honors with seven kills at Simon Fraser and added five kills at Western Washington. Moore is averaging 2.06 kills per set and started her first two matches of the season on the road trip.

• Sophomore outside hitter Maddi Vigil had nine kills and 29 digs in the two matches. She finished with seven kills and 17 digs at Simon Fraser and finished with two kills and 12 digs at Western Washington. Vigil leads Montana State Billings with 2.61 kills and 3.09 digs per set.

• Senior middle blocker Miranda McConnell had 10 kills and three blocks in the two matches. She had five kills in both matches and notched two of her three blocks at Simon Fraser. McConnell leads MSUB with a .254 hitting percentage and 0.73 blocks per set.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 11.32 kills and 15.39 digs per set. The Yellowjackets’ .166 hitting percentage is sixth in the GNAC.

• The Yellowjackets are home to close the first half of the GNAC season, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene succeeded in sweeping last week’s matches, beating Seattle Pacific on Thursday in five sets and Saint Martin’s on Saturday in three sets. The Nighthawks ended a three-match homestand on Tuesday with a three-set loss to Central Washington.

• Sophomore outside hitter Abbey Blum led the Nighthawks offensively once again with 28 kills in the two matches last week. She finished with 15 kills against Seattle Pacific and eight kills against Saint Martin’s before adding seven kills against Central Washington. Blum is fifth in the GNAC with 3.25 kills per set.

• Junior outside hitter Kayla Sale finished with 22 kills over the weekend. She led the Nighthawks with a double-double of 16 kills and 19 digs against Seattle Pacific and had six kills against Saint Martin’s. On Tuesday, Sale finished with eight kills and 12 digs against Central Washington. Sale is averaging 1.48 kills and 3.32 digs per set.

• Senior outside hitter Cami Heninger had nine service aces in the two weekend matches, seven of which came against Saint Martin’s. The Nighthawks have had 18 aces in their last three matches.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 11.87 kills per set with a .167 hitting percentage. The Nighthawks rank fourth in the GNAC and 43rd in Division II with 17.97 digs per set. In the national statistics, senior libero Shayli Siegfreid is 26th in Division II with 5.45 digs per set.

• Northwest Nazarene closes the week with a match at Montana State Billings on Thursday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s is in the throes of a nine-match losing streak after taking a pair of three-set road losses to Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Rachel Gondrezick led the Saints with 18 kills and 18 digs in the two matches. She finished with 11 kills, 12 digs and a .242 hitting percentage at Central Washington and then added seven kills and six digs at Northwest Nazarene. Gondrezick enters the week averaging 2.62 kills and 2.73 digs per set.

• Senior outside hitter Megan Vernoy added 15 kills in the two matches, topped by her eight kills at Central Washington. Vernoy leads the Saints with 3.08 kills per set.

• Freshman setter Alyssa Bartlett came up with 55 assists last week. She finished with 34 assists and seven digs at Central Washington and then finished with 21 assists and eight digs at Northwest Nazarene. Bartlett is seventh in the GNAC with 8.37 assists per set.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 11.06 kills and 15.48 digs per set with a .154 hitting percentage. The Saints are third in the GNAC with 1.63 aces per set.

• Saint Martin’s is home at Marcus Pavilion to end the first half of GNAC play, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific dropped a pair of road matches last week, falling in five sets at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and in three sets at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Senior opposite Hailey Gaines led the way for the Falcons with 31 kills and eight blocks in the two matches. She finished with 15 kills and two blocks at Northwest Nazarene and contributed 16 kills and six blocks off the bench at Central Washington. Gaines is averaging 2.33 kills and 0.91 blocks per set.

• Junior outside hitter Gabby Oddo had 30 kills and 40 digs in the two matches. She opened with a double-double of 11 kills and 30 digs at Northwest Nazarene and led the Falcons with 19 kills and 10 digs at Central Washington. Oddo is sixth in the GNAC with 3.20 kills per set and is second with 0.38 aces per set.

• Junior Jaeden Hooker added 24 kills in the two matches, led by her match-high 17 kills at Northwest Nazarene, and enters the week averaging 2.49 kills per set.

• Senior middle blocker Shaun Crespi added 14 kills over the last week, notching seven in each match. Crespi is ranked third in the GNAC and 16th in Division II with 1.27 blocks per set. As a team, SPU is fourth in the GNAC and 21st in Division II with 2.28 blocks per set.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 11.85 kills and 16.64 digs per set with a .146 hitting percentage.

• Seattle Pacific hosts the Alaska schools to close the first half of the GNAC season, welcoming Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser split a pair of home matches last week, pushing Western Washington to the brink in a five-set loss on Tuesday before beating Montana State Billings in three sets on Friday.

• Junior outside hitter Kirsten Pinkney paced the Clan offensively with 32 kills in the two matches. She came off the bench to lead SFU with 20 kills and a .283 hitting percentage against Western Washington and shared top honors with 12 kills against Montana State Billings. Pinkney is tied for seventh in the GNAC with 3.17 kills per set.

• Senior middle blocker Tessa May added 27 kills and had a .356 hitting percentage in the two matches. She finished with 15 kills in the loss to Western Washington before adding 12 kills with a .500 hitting percentage against Montana State Billings. May is tied with Pinkney for seventh in the GNAC with 3.17 kills per set and is third in the GNAC and 49th in Division II with a .353 hitting percentage.

• Senior libero Jayme Bratsberg finished with 40 digs while junior defensive specialist Katerina Dolguikh had 39 digs in the two matches. Bratsberg’s week was led by her 23 digs against Western Washington while Dolguikh added 24 digs against the Vikings. Bratsberg enters the week ranked ninth in the GNAC with 4.42 digs per set.

• Simon Fraser enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and 18th in Division II with 13.13 assists per set. The Clan is second in the GNAC and 26th in Division II with 13.77 kills per set while the team’s .232 hitting percentage is third in the league and 46th in Division II.

• The Clan is in Oregon for its next two matches, playing at Western Oregon on Thursday and at Concordia on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon took a pair of losses in Alaska last week, extending their losing streak to four matches. The Wolves fell in three sets at Alaska on Thursday and in four sets at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Senior opposite Mariella Vandenkooy led the Wolves with 19 kills and 16 digs in the two matches. She led WOU with 12 kills at Alaska and then added seven kills and 10 digs at Alaska Anchorage. Vandenkooy leads the Wolves with averages of 2.72 kills and 2.91 digs per set.

• Senior outside hitter Marlie Norman added 16 kills in the two matches. She finished with five kills at Alaska and then has 11 kills and a .364 hitting percentage at Alaska Anchorage. Norman is second for the Wolves with an average of 1.85 kills per set.

• On defense, sophomore outside hitter Sierra Stultz had 32 digs, paced by her 17 digs at Alaska. She enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC with 4.44 digs per set.

• Senior setter Leila Holt finished with 39 assists while fellow senior Maddie Mechiz had 38 assists in the Wolves’ two-setter system. Holt is 10th in the GNAC with 5.31 assists per set and leads the conference with 0.42 aces per set.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 11.47 kills and 15.95 digs per set with a .157 hitting percentage. The Wolves are second in the GNAC with 1.64 aces per set and sixth with 2.02 blocks per set.

• Western Oregon is home to close the first half of GNAC play, hosting Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington faced its fiercest challenge yet in GNAC play, going five sets before winning at Simon Fraser on Tuesday. The Vikings then beat Montana State Billings on Saturday in three sets to run their current win streak to 13 matches.

• The Vikings remained at No. 7 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25. It is the 87th 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 was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after she finished with 37 kills and 28 digs in two matches and became the Vikings’ all-time record holder in kills. Her week was topped by a 27-kill, 15-dig performance against Simon Fraser. She then finished with 10 kills and 13 digs against Montana State Billings. Phelps finished the match with 1,387 career kills, surpassing the previous WWU record of 1,379 set by Meghan Evoy from 2001-04, and sits at No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list. Phelps leads the GNAC and is 24th in Division II with four kills per set. She is also sixth in Division II with 13.07 attacks per set and 40th with 232 total kills.

• Junior middle blocker Kayleigh Harper had 24 kills and seven blocks and had a .444 hitting percentage in the two matches, led by her 13 kills and five blocks at Simon Fraser. Harper is second in the GNAC and 39th in Division II with her .360 hitting percentage. She leads the GNAC and ranks fifth in Division II with 1.48 blocks per set.

• Senior setter Brette Boesel added 98 assists to her total last week. She finished with a double-double of 55 assists and 15 digs at Simon Fraser and finished short of a double-double with 43 assists and eight digs against Montana State Billings. Boesel is second in the GNAC and 10th in Division II with 11.53 assists per set.

• Western Washington enters the week leading the GNAC and 31st in Division II with a .243 hitting percentage. They also lead the GNAC and rank fourth in Division II with 2.86 blocks per set while also ranking third in the GNAC and 39th in Division II with 13.57 kills per set.

• Western Washington will try and finish the first half of the GNAC season undefeated with matches at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday.