Wednesday, November 29, 2017

For the third consecutive season, GNAC teams comprise at least half of the tournament field as the region’s top eight teams meet in Riverside, Calif., for the NCAA West Regional Tournament this weekend.

All four participating GNAC squads are familiar faces in the field. Western Washington, the conference champion and the No. 2 seed, and No. 6 seed Central Washington is in the tournament for the sixth consecutive year. Alaska Anchorage, the No. 7 seed, is back for the fifth consecutive year while No. 3 seed Northwest Nazarene returns for the second straight season and the third time in the last four seasons.

In an interesting twist to the regional draw, the four teams will all meet in the lower half of the regional bracket, creating a de facto GNAC volleyball championship tournament. Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene will meet in the quarterfinals as will Western Washington and Alaska Anchorage in a re-match of the 2016 West Regional final. The draw ensures that the GNAC will have a team in the title match for the third straight season.

This year’s West Regional is hosted by Cal Baptist, the No. 1 regional seed. The Lancers enter the tournament ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25 and own a 28-0 record. Also in the field is No. 4 seed Cal State San Bernardino, No. 5 seed Azusa Pacific and No. 8 seed Sonoma State.

Western Washington is aiming to make its third straight West Regional final and advance to the NCAA’s Elite Eight for the first time since 2015. The Vikings enter the tournament on an 18-match win streak. Led by GNAC Player of the Year Abby Phelps, the Vikings lead the GNAC and rank in the Division’s II top-20 with a .252 hitting percentage, .153 opponent hitting percentage, 14.15 kills per set, 20.32 digs per set and 2.82 blocks per set.

Northwest Nazarene started the year with a 16-match win streak and finished second to the Vikings in the GNAC at 16-4 (24-4 overall). The Crusaders won their first-ever West Regional match in 2016, beating Simon Fraser in four sets, and is in the tournament for the third time in the last four years. The Nighthawks are led by three-time First Team All-GNAC selection Madi Farrell, who is ranked fourth in Division II with a .417 hitting percentage.

The No. 6 seed in this year’s regional, Central Washington is in its fifth striaght West Regional tournament. The Wildcats, however, would like to upset Northwest Nazarene for its first postseason victory since 2005. They tied for third in the GNAC with Alaska Anchorage at 14-6 and enter the tournament at 19-9 overall. The Division II leader in blocks for much of the season, the Wildcats are third nationally with 2.78 blocks per set. Senior middle blocker Sabrina Wheelhouse, the 2017 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, leads Division II with 1.50 blocks per set to go along with a .319 hitting percentage.

The regional champion a year ago, Alaska Anchorage enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed. The Seawolves tied for third in conference play at 14-6 and are 19-10 overall. Despite losing their top player from last year and experiencing major personnel changes midseason, the Seawolves built win streaks of five and six matches during GNAC play. Junior outside hitter Leah Swiss leads the team with 3.23 kills per set and 4.09 points per set.

The winner of the West Regional tournament will advance to the NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship, Dec. 7-9 in Pensacola, Florida. Alaska Anchorage was the national runner-up in 2016 while Western Washington advanced to the national semifinals in 2015.

ABOUT THE GNAC'S WEST REGIONAL PARTICIPANTS
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage, the No. 7 seed in the West Region, is in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year and eighth time since 2001.

• The Seawolves are led by junior middle blocker Leah Swiss. The GNAC 2017 Preseason Player of the Year and three-time First Team All-GNAC selection is ninth in the GNAC with 3.23 kills per set and seventh with 4.09 points per set. She is also second in the GNAC and 39th in Division II with 0.45 aces per set.

• Senior libero Keala Kaio-Perez earned First Team All-GNAC and Second Team D2CCA All-West Region honors. She leads the GNAC and is 25th in Division II with 0.48 aces per set and is 11th nationally with 57 total aces. Kaio-Perez is also tied for second in the GNAC and 46th in Division II with 5.30 digs per set.

• Freshman setter Casey Davenport was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year after taking over solo setting duties midway through the season. She is eighth in the GNAC with 7.11 assists per set. Junior middle blocker Tara Melton was named the GNAC Co-Newcomer of the Year after she finished the regular season with 162 kills and a .219 hitting percentage.

• Alaska Anchorage enters the week leading the GNAC and is 35th in Division II with 1.80 aces per set. The Seawolves boast a .191 hitting percentage and is averaging 12.36 kills and 17.93 digs per set.

• The Seawolves are 0-2 this season against their quarterfinals opponent, Western Washington. Alaska Anchorage beat the Vikings in four sets in last year’s West Regional final en route to the Division II national championship match.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington is in the NCAA West Regional for the fifth consecutive year and the eighth time in school history.

• The Wildcats are led by senior middle blocker Sabrina Wheelhouse, who earned both First Team All-GNAC and D2CCA All-West Region honors. Wheelhouse is the Division II leader in blocks, averaging 1.50 per set, and is second with her 165 total blocks. Equally as effective on the attack, Wheelhouse is third in the GNAC with a .319 hitting percentage. Wheelhouse was named the GNAC’s Defensive Player of the Year.

• Junior outside hitter Shelby Mauritson is the team’s top hitter, ranking fifth in the GNAC with 3.69 kills per set and sixth with 4.11 points per set.

• The Division II team leader in blocks for much of the season, the Wildcats enter the West Region in third in Division II with 2.78 blocks per set and is fourth with 304 total blocks. In addition to Wheelhouse, senior middle blocker Sarah Joffs is eighth in the GNAC with 1.09 blocks per set.

• Central Washington enters the West Regional averaging 12.70 kills and 17.82 digs per set. The Wildcats are third in the GNAC in opponent hitting percentage (.156) and fourth in hitting percentage (.205).

• Central Washington split its meetings this season with quarterfinals opponent Northwest Nazarene, winning in five sets in Ellensburg on Oct. 10 and losing in five sets in Nampa on Nov. 7. The Wildcats have not advanced past the quarterfinal round of the regional since 2005.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene, the West Region’s No. 3 seed, is in the regional tournament for the second consecutive year and the third time in program history. The Nighthawks enter the tournament ranked No. 14 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll.

• Senior middle blocker Madi Farrell earned First Team All-GNAC honors for the third consecutive year and earned D2CCA First Team All-West Region honors for the second straight season. Farrell leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with a .417 hitting percentage. Farrell is also third in the GNAC and seventh in Division II with 1.36 blocks per set and third in the GNAC and 35th in Division II with 3.90 kills per set.

• Senior outside hitter Kendra Bodine also earned First Team All-GNAC honors for the third consecutive season and was a Second Team D2CCA All-West Region pick for the second consecutive year. Bodine leads the GNAC and is ranked 13th in Division II with 4.36 kills per set. She also leads the GNAC and is 14th in Division II with 4.85 points per set.

• Senior setter Hailey Cook was one of two setters named First Team All-GNAC after being named honorable mention in both 2015 and 2016. Cook is second in the GNAC and 14th in Division II with 11.58 assists per set.

• After starting the season with a 16-match winning streak, Northwest Nazarene finished in second place in the GNAC at 16-4, 24-4 overall. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC and are 15th in Division II with 13.37 assists per set. They are second in the GNAC and 23rd in Division II with a .247 hitting percentage.

• Northwest Nazarene split this season with quarterfinals opponent Central Washington, losing in five sets at Ellensburg on Oct. 10 and winning in five sets in Nampa on Nov. 9. The Nighthawks won their first NCAA postseason match last year, beating Simon Fraser in four sets.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington, the 2017 GNAC champion, is in the West Regional for the sixth consecutive year and for the 12th time since 2001.

• The Vikings ran through the GNAC season with a 19-1 record, tying the 2016 Alaska Anchorage team for most conference wins in a season. Western Washington enters the regional on an 18-match win streak and ranked No. 5 in the latest AVCA Division II Coaches Top-25.

• Junior outside hitter Abby Phelps was named the GNAC Player of the Year and a First Team D2CCA All-West Region selection. Phelps enters the tournament second in the GNAC and 20th in Division II with 4.15 kills per set while ranking second in the GNAC and 17th in Division II with 4.78 points per set and seventh in the GNAC with 4.84 digs per set.

• Junior setter Brette Boesel earned both First Team All-GNAC and First Team D2CCA All-West Region honors. She enters the tournament leading the GNAC and ranked 13th in Division II with 11.60 assists per set.

• Senior opposite Joellee Buckner also earned First Team All-GNAC honors. She is sixth in the GNAC with 4.84 digs per set and 12th with her .259 hitting percentage.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC in hitting percentage (.252), opponent hitting percentage (.153), kills (14.15 per set), digs (20.32 per set) and blocks (2.82 per set). The Vikings are second in Division II in blocks, fifth in digs, 15th in kills and 18th in hitting percentage.

• The Vikings are 2-0 against all GNAC opponents in the tournament except Northwest Nazarene (1-1). Western Washington has advanced to the regional final each of the last two years, beating Cal State San Bernardino in 2015 and falling to Alaska Anchorage in 2016.