Wednesday, October 2, 2019

WHITING’S BALANCED EFFORT GAINS NATIONAL ATTENTION: After a well-rounded performance over two matches that helped her team improve to 4-0 in the GNAC standings, Alaska junior setter Cate Whiting has been named by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as its Division II Player of the Week.

Also selected as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week, Whiting paced the Nanooks to a pair of come-from-behind victories with totals of 77 assists, 11 kills, eight aces, 21 digs and five blocks in two matches. She averaged 8.56 assists and 0.89 aces per set in nine sets.

This is the second career AVCA Player of the Week award for Whiting. She also earned the honor almost exactly a year ago, on Oct. 9, 2018, with a similar all-around performance.

NANOOKS ALSO TAKE GNAC TEAM OF WEEK HONOR: Thanks to a solid 4-0 start to the GNAC season and a pair of come-from-behind victories at home over Alaska Anchorage and Montana State Billings, Alaska volleyball was singled out as the GNAC Team of the Week.
Alaska opened its week with a four-set win over rival Alaska Anchorage on Tuesday in front of a crowd of 461. After losing the first set, 25-21, the Nanooks won three straight to take the match. The second win for the Nanooks came in a five-set thriller against Montana State Billings on Thursday.

TRIPLE DOUBLES ABOUND: The triple-double in volleyball is very rare, but the GNAC saw one accomplished last week along with three near misses.

Simon Fraser senior setter Tamara Clarke achieved the first GNAC triple-double since 2016 and just the second since 2014 on Thursday as she finished with 11 kills, 25 assists and 14 digs in the Clan’s five-set losses at Concordia. Is the first triple-double for Simon Fraser in the school’s NCAA Division II era and the first since Montana State Billings’ Angala Jensen finished with 10 kills, 14 digs and 37 assists against Western Oregon on Nov. 10, 2016.

A few others just missed last week. Montana State Billings’ Bayli Monck had 22 kills, 12 digs and nine blocks at Rocky Mountain on Monday. Alaska’s Cate Whiting had 32 assists, eight kills and nine digs against Alaska Anchorage on Tuesday. Northwest Nazarene’s Brooke Foster finished with 19 kills, 17 digs and nine aces against Saint Martin’s on Thursday.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Cate Whiting, Alaska
S • 5-10 • Junior • Rapid City, S.D.

Whiting finished with 77 assists, 11 kills, eight aces, 21 digs and five blocks as Alaska improved to 4-0 in GNAC play with a pair of come-from-behind home wins. Whiting finished with eight kills, 32 assists, four aces, nine digs and a block in Tuesday’s four-set win over Alaska Anchorage. She completed the week with three kills, 45 assists, four aces, 12 digs and four blocks in Thursday’s five-set win over Montana State Billings.

Also Nominated: Gabrielle Aihara (Central Washington), Jessica Wheeler (Concordia), Brooke Foster (Northwest Nazarene), Mackenzie Carter (Saint Martin’s), Kalyn Hartman (Simon Fraser), Calley Heilborn (Western Washington).

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

Harper finished with 14 blocks to go along with 17 kills as the Vikings swept the Willamette Valley road trip. Harper opened with a four-kill, four-block performance at Western Oregon on Thursday before notching a double-double of 13 kills and 10 blocks on Saturday at Concordia. During Saturday’s match, Harper became just the second player in WWU and GNAC history to reach both the 1,000-kill and 500-block career milestones.

Also Nominated: Bridgette Webb (Central Washington), Callie Wilkins (Concordia), Kiana Pel (Saint Martin’s).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska improved to 4-0 with a pair of come-from-behind wins at home. The Nanooks came from one set down to  beat Alaska Anchorage on Tuesday and then came back from a 2-1 deficit to beat Montana State Billings in five sets on Thursday.

• Thanks in part to the rallies and the 4-0 conference start, the Nanooks were selected as the GNAC Team of the Week.

• Junior setter Cate Whiting was selected as both the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week and AVCA Division II Player of the Week after she finished with 77 assists, 11 kills, eight aces, 21 digs and five blocks in the two wins. She posted numbers of 32 assists, eight kills, four aces, nine digs and a block against Alaska Anchorage. Whiting followed that up with 45 assists, three mills, four  aces, 12 digs and four blocks against Montana State Billings.  Whiting is fifth in the GNAC with 9.33 assists per set.

• Junior outside hitter AveRee Reynolds led the Nanooks at the net with 25 kills in the two matches. She led UAF with 13 kills against Alaska Anchorage and  finished with 12 kills against MSUB. Reynolds is averaging 2.39 kills per set.

• Senior middle blocker Kim Wong added 22 kills and nine blocks in the two matches. She finished with five kills, three digs and two blocks against Alaska Anchorage before leading the team with 17 kills, a .567 hitting percentage and seven blocks against MSUB. Wong is averaging 2.79 kills per set and is seventh in the GNAC with one block per set.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 12.14 kills and 14.73 digs per set. The Nanooks rank third in the GNAC with 1.84 aces per set and is fourth in the GNAC and 30th in Division II with 2.20 blocks per set.

• Alaska concludes a four-match home stand this week, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• After taking a four-set loss at Alaska on Tuesday, Alaska Anchorage rebounded to score a four-set win over Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Sophomore right-side hitter Eve Stephens continued her offensive tear with 32 kills and six blocks in the two matches. She led the Seawolves with 15 kills and six blocks at Alaska and then led the way with 22 kills against Montana State Billings. Stephens leads the GNAC with 4.02 kills and 4.70 points per set.

• Senior outside hitter Vanessa Hayes added 16 kills and seven aces last week. She finished with six kills and two aces at Alaska before registering 10 kills and five aces against Montana State Billings. Hayes leads the GNAC and is sixth in Division II with 0.70 aces per set. She is also fifth in Division II with 32 total aces.

• Sophomore setter Ellen Floyd finished with 86 assists in the two matches with four kills, 22 digs and  four blocks. She finished with 36 assists, two aces, three kills, 13 digs and two blocks at Alaska and then posted 52 assists and nine digs against Montana State Billings. Floyd is fourth in the GNAC with 9.80 assists per set.

• Alaska Anchorage enters the week with averages of 11.89 kills and 13.04 digs per set. The Seawolves are second in the GNAC and fifth in Division II with 2.50 blocks per set. They also lead the GNAC and rank 12th in Division II with 2.28 aces per set.

• The Seawolves will play five of their next seven matches at home in the Alaska Airlines Center. They will host Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington improved to 3-1 in conference play with a pair of three-set sweeps of Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday in the Wildcat’s home openers.

• Junior outside hitters Makala Swart and Diana Fa’amausili each had 19 kills in the two matches. Swart also added 25 digs to her total. She scored a double-double of 11 kills and 10 digs against Seattle Pacific and then finished with eight kills and 15 digs against Saint Martin’s. Swart is seventh in the GNAC with 3.29 kills per set.

• Fa’amausili’s ledger also included five blocks to go with those 19 kills. She finished with 11 kills and three blocks against Seattle Pacific and came up with eight kills and two blocks against Saint Martin’s. Fa’amausili is averaging 2.54 kills per set. She is ranked sixth in the GNAC with 1.02 blocks per set.

• Senior setter Gabrielle Aihara registered 74 assists and 16 digs in the two matches. She opened the week with 44 assists and nine digs against Seattle Pacific before adding 30 assists, seven digs and two blocks against Saint Martin’s. Aihara is second in the GNAC with 10.17 assists per set.

• Central Washington enters the week third in the GNAC with 13 kills and 17.54 digs per set. The Wildcats are 47th in Division II in digs per set while also ranking third in the GNAC and 27th in Division II with 2.24 blocks per set.

• Central Washington continues to rank among teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll. They are fifth on the list with 38 points.

• The Wildcats head north this week to play at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and at Alaska on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia had a big split of their home matches last week, scoring a five-set win over Simon Fraser on Thursday before taking a four-set loss to Western Washington on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Jessica Wheeler led the Cavaliers with 27 kills and 12 digs in the two matches. She came up big against Simon Fraser with 18 kills, a .265 hitting percentage and six digs. Against Western Washington, Wheeler finished with nine kills and six digs. Wheeler is 10th in the GNAC with 3.06 kills per set.

• Freshman outside hitter Zoe DiNardo also finished with 27 kills last week. She opened the week with 13 kills against Simon Fraser and led the way with 14 kills against Western Washington. DiNardo enters the week averaging 2.33 kills per set, second for the Cavaliers to Wheeler.

• Sophomore libero Callie Wilkins led the Cavaliers with 60 digs and eight aces. She posted 26 digs and three aces against Simon Fraser and then notched 34 digs and five aces against Western Washington. Wilkins leads the GNAC and is 16th in Division II with 5.64 digs per set. She is also fourth in the GNAC and 18th in Division II with 0.59 aces per set.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 11.70 kills per set and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 17.43 digs per set. The Cavaliers are second in the GNAC and 42nd in Division II with 1.95 aces per set.

• Concordia hits the road for two matches this week, playing at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• After opening the week with a five-set win at cross-town rival Rocky Mountain, Montana State Billings dropped a pair of tough losses on the northern road trip. The Yellowjackets fell in five sets at Alaska on Thursday and in four sets at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Junior right-side hitter Bayli Monck paced MSUB offensively with 41 kills, 38 digs and 11 blocks in the three matches. She was the key in the win over Rocky Mountain, finishing just short of a triple-double with 22 kills, 12 digs and nine blocks. Monck then finished with 10 kills and 16 digs at Alaska along with nine kills and 10 digs at Alaska Anchorage. Monck is averaging 2.52 kills and 2.46 digs per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Skylar Reed came up with 33 kills and 11 digs in the three matches. After finishing just short  of a double-double with nine  kills and eight digs against Rocky Mountain, Reed slammed 11 kills at Alaska and 13 at Alaska Anchorage. Reed is averaging 2.08 kills per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Eavan Taylor led the way at the net with 20 kills and 14 blocks. Her high water mark was at Rocky Mountain with 10 kills and nine blocks. Taylor had five kills and three blocks at Alaska along with five kills and two blocks at Alaska Anchorage. Taylor is averaging 1.21 kills and 0.74 blocks per set.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 10.90 kills and 15.20 digs per set.

• The Yellowjackets hosts some tough competition this week, welcoming Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split its home-opening matches last week, scoring a four-set win over Saint Martin’s on Thursday before taking a four-set loss to Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Brooke Foster led the Nighthawks with a total of 33 kills, 10 aces and 30 digs in the two matches. Against Saint Martin’s, Foster finished one ace short of a triple-double with 19 kills, 17 kills and nine aces. She posted solid numbers against Seattle Pacific with 14 kills and 13 digs. Foster enters the week fourth in the GNAC with 3.49 kills  per set and is 10th with 0.42 aces per set.

• Junior outside hitter Abbey Blum connected for 24 kills and 30 digs in the two matches. She opened the week with 14 kills, 14 digs and a .243 hitting percentage against Saint Martin’s. She then posted numbers of 10 kills and 16 digs against Seattle Pacific. Blum is averaging 2.91 kills per set.

• Senior setter Megan Nelson had all but 13 of the Nighthawks’ assists last week, finishing with 82 assists to go with 31 digs and two blocks. She posted double-doubles in both matches, finishing with 41 assists and 11 digs against Saint Martin’s along with 41 assists and 20 digs against Seattle Pacific. Nelson sits sixth in the GNAC at 9.29 assists per set.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 11.81 kills per set. The Nighthawks are second in the GNAC with 17.77 digs per set and rank 28th in Division II with 38.22 team attacks per set.

• The Nighthawks head north this week, playing at Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s is still in search of its first win of the season after taking a four-set road loss at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and a three-set loss at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Junior outside hitter Mackenzie Carter led the Saints with totals of 17 kills and nine digs in the two matches. She paced Saint Martin’s with 12 kills and five digs at Northwest Nazarene and then added five kills and four digs and Central Washington. Carter leads the Saints with 3.12 kills per set while also averaging 2.32 digs per set.

• Freshman outside hitter Gracie Brenner and freshman middle blocker Tianah Sanders each had 11 kills on the week. Brenner posted beats of eight kills and two blocks at Northwest Nazarene. Sanders also had her best against NNU with seven kills, a .333 hitting percentage and three blocks.

• Sophomore setter Alyssa Bartlett finished with 44 assists in the two matches. She just missed double-doubles in both matches, finishing with 28 assists and seven digs against Northwest Nazarene along with 16 kills and nine digs at Central Washington. Bartlett is averaging 5.73 assists per set.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 9.22 kills and 14.91 digs per set.

• The Saints are home for their next two matches, hosting Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific secured a split on its first GNAC road trip of the season, dropping a three-set match at Central Washington on Thursday before scoring a four-set win at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Gabby Oddo paced the Falcons with 26 kills, four aces and 19 digs last week. She was limited to just five kills and five digs against Central Washington before exploding for 20 kills, four aces and 14 digs at Northwest Nazarene. Oddo is eighth in the GNAC with 3.22 kills per set and ranks 26th in Division II with 10.95 attacks per set.

• Junior outside hitter Maddie Batiste added 25 kills and 22 digs over the two matches. She opened with nine kills and 10 digs at Central Washington before notching a double-double of 16 kills and 12 digs with two blocks at Northwest Nazarene. Batiste is third in the GNAC with 3.51 kills per set.

• Junior middle blocker Gabi Stegemoller contributed 11 blocks in the two matches to go with 16 kills. Most of her blocks came at Central Washington with eight while she went off for 13 kills and a .462 hitting percentage at Northwest Nazarene. Stegemoller is 10th in the GNAC with 0.91 blocks per set while also averaging 1.67 kills per set.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC with 12.31 kills per set and is also averaging 14.76 digs per set. The Falcons are ranked 19th in Division II with 38.77 team attacks per set.

• The Falcons is home for their next two matches, hosting Concordia on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser split its weekend road matches, taking a tough five-set loss at Concordia on Thursday before collecting a three-set sweep of Western Oregon on Saturday. The Clan opened the week on Tuesday with a four-set loss at Western Washington.

• Freshman outside hitter Kalyn Hartmann led the Clan in the three matches with 25 kills, a .367 hitting percentage, five digs and seven blocks. She posted totals of 15 kills and three blocks at Concordia before adding nine kills and a pair of blocks at Western Oregon. Hartmann is averaging 1.71 kills per set.

• Senior outside hitter Kirsten Pinkney also had 25 kills in the three matches to go with six digs five blocks. Pinkney finished with four kills at Concordia and seven kills at Western Oregon. She then led SFU with her 14 kills and .225 hitting percentage at Western Washington. Pinkney leads SFU with 2.94 kills per set.

• Senior setter Tamara Clarke registered the GNAC’s first triple-double since 2016 when she finished with 11 kills, 25 assists and 14 digs at Concordia on Thursday. Clarke is tied for seventh in Division II with her one triple-double.

• Simon Fraser is third in the GNAC with 12.96 kills per set and entered the week ranked 46th in Division II in the category. The Clan lead the GNAC with 18.12 digs per set and entered the week ranked 29th in Division II. Simon Fraser is also second in the GNAC with 12.38 assists per set.

• Simon Fraser closes out the week on the road, playing at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon dropped both of its opening home matches of the season, losing in three sets to Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Sophomore middle blocker Delaney Smith led the Wolves with 11 kills and a .524 hitting percentage over the two matches. She did not have an attack error last week, finishing with six kills and a .600 hitting percentage against Western Washington and five kills and a .455 hitting percentage against Simon Fraser. Smith enters the week averaging 1.28 kills per set and is second in the GNAC with her .346 hitting percentage.

• Sophomore setter Aubrey Stanton contributed 30 assists in the six sets. She finished with 17 assists against Western Washington and then finished with 13 assists to go with two aces against Simon Fraser. Stanton is currently ninth in the GNAC with 7.14 assists per set.

• Senior middle blocker Allyson Crisp led the Wolves at the net with her seven blocks. She finished with four blocks, three solo, to go with four kills against Western Washington before adding three blocks and two kills against Simon Fraser. Crisp is averaging 0.77 blocks per set.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 10.14 kills and 11.09 digs per set.

• Western Oregon is on the road for its next two matches, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington stayed perfect with three more wins. The Vikings collected a three-set sweep at Western Oregon on Thursday before posting four-ser wins over Concordia on Saturday and Simon Fraser on Tuesday.

• Senior middle blocker Kayleigh Harper was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after she finished with 14 blocks to go with 17 kills in the two weekend matches. In the process, she became just the second player in GNAC history to have 1,000 career kills and 500 career blocks. Harper opened with four kills and four blocks at Western Oregon before notching a double-double of 13 kills and 10 blocks at Concordia. Against Concordia, Harper added another 10 kills and five blocks. Harper leads the GNAC with a .393 hitting percentage and 1.40 blocks per set. She entered the week ranked 24th in Division II in hitting percentage and fourth in blocks.

• Freshman outside hitter Calley Heilborn posted totals of 39 kills, 45 digs and five blocks over the three matches. After finishing with 12 kills and nine digs at Western Oregon, Heilborn turned in double-doubles of 13 kills and 24 digs at Concordia and 14 kills and 12 digs against Simon Fraser. Heilborn is second in the GNAC with 3.58 kills and 4.23 points per set and is 10th with 3.58 digs per set.

• Freshman setter Malia Aleaga continues to perform well with totals of 129 assists, 19 digs and 10 blocks in the three matches. After finishing with 37 assists at Western Oregon, Aleaga surged for 46 assists, nine digs and seven blocks at Concordia. She finished with 46 assists and three blocks on Tuesday against Simon Fraser. Aleaga leads the GNAC with 12.21 assists per set and entered the week ranked fourth in Division II in the category.

• Western Washington remained at No. 2 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll, picking up 1,103 total points and five first-place votes.

• The Vikings enter the week leading the GNAC with a .287 hitting percentage, 14.29 kills per set, 13.54 assists per set and 2.66 blocks per set. The Vikings entered the week ranked second in Division II in blocks, fourth in hitting percentage, seventh in assists and 11th in kills.

• Western Washington closes out the week on the road, playing at Montana State Billings on Friday.