Wednesday, September 1, 2021

ALASKA SCHOOLS PICK UP SPIRIT OF ALOHA: Alaska and Alaska Anchorage took advantage of a jump-start to the season with a set of matches in Hawaii last week, with both the Nanooks and Seawolves showing they are set to take the West Region on.

Alaska Anchorage returned home from Oahu with a 3-1 record. The Seawolves posted a pair of three-set victories over Hawaii Pacific on Friday and Saturday. After taking a four-set loss to Chaminade on Saturday, the Seawolves rebounded to close the trip with a four-set win over Silverswords on Sunday.

Alaska went 2-2 in Hawaii. The Nanooks posted a three-set win over Hawaii Pacific on Friday and beat the Sharks in four sets on Friday. Alaska dropped a pair of hard-fought matches to Chamiande, losing both in five sets on Saturday and Sunday.

Chaminade is ranked to finish second in the PacWest Conference’s preseason poll.

The Seawolves earned the first two GNAC Player of the Week awards for the 2021 season. Junior right-side hitter Eve Stephens was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after she averaged 4.43 kills, 3.07 digs, 0.64 aces and 0.50 blocks per set in the four matches. Junior setter Ellen Floyd was named the Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 3.64 digs and 0.50 blocks per ser while also averaging 10.21 assists per set.

WESTERN WASHINGTON NARROW PICK TO WIN GNAC: Western Washington has won the last three conference titles and coaches don’t expect that roll to slow down.

The Vikings collected five first-place votes to be selected as the narrow favorite in the 2021 GNAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll. Western Washington received all first and second-place votes to finish with a total of 95 points.

Alaska Anchorage, which won the previous two titles before Western Washington’s current run, is picked a close second with 92 points. The Seawolves received the other five first-place votes.

Central Washington is picked third with 73 points, followed by Alaska in fourth with 66 points and Seattle Pacific in fifth with 56 points. Rounding out the poll is Simon Fraser (54), Northwest Nazarene (47), Montana State Billings (35), Saint Martin’s (21) and Western Oregon (11). Read More

THREE GNAC TEAMS EARN PRESEASON RANKINGS: A week after being picked to win the GNAC once again, Western Washington leads three conference teams in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Coaches Top-25 Preseason Poll.

The Vikings open the season ranked 14th, receiving 471 points in the poll. Western Washington is one of just two West Region teams to make the top-25. Cal State San Bernardino, the 2019 national champion, enters the season at No. 3.

Alaska Anchorage and Central Washington are among 36 teams listed as receiving votes. The Seawolves, picked second in the GNAC Coaches Preseason Poll, received 114 points to rank seventh among the team receiving votes. Central Washington, picked third in the conference, received 10 points.

STEPHENS LEAD PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: One of the most dynamic players in the conference since she arrived at Alaska Anchorage, Seawolves junior Eve Stephens leads the selections on the 2021 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team.

The opposite and Second Team AVCA All-American in 2019 was named by coaches as the Preseason Player of the Year. One of seven unanimous selections to the team, Stephens received seven of nine possible first-place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own players).

Stephens was named First Team All-GNAC and was a consensus First Team All-West Region selection in 2019. She led the GNAC that season and ranked 33rd in Division II with 3.90 kills per set. She also led the conference with 4.70 points per set while also ranking in the GNAC’s top-15 in hitting percentage (.260) and blocks per set (0.90). During the 2021 spring season, Stephens led all GNAC players with 4.16 kills per set with a .290 hitting percentage.

Stephens is joined on the Preseason All-Conference Team by Seawolves junior setter Ellen Floyd.

Defending conference champion and 2021 preseason favorite Western Washington landed three selections on the Preseason All-Conference Team in sophomore outside hitter Calley Heilborn, junior outside hitter Gabby Gunterman and sophomore setter Malia Aleaga.

Alaska, Central Washington and Seattle Pacific joined Alaska Anchorage with two selections apiece. The Nanooks are represented by senior setter Cate Whiting and senior right-side hitter AveRee Reynolds. The Wildcats are represented by sophomore outside hitters Ashley Kaufman and Tia Andaya while the Falcons are represented by freshman middle blocker Hannah Hair and senior outside hitter Maddie Batiste.

Rounding out the team is Montana State Billings senior opposite Bayli Monck, Northwest Nazarene junior outside hitter Brooke Foster and Simon Fraser senior setter Julia Tays. Read More

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Eve Stephens, Alaska Anchorage
RS • 6-1 • Junior • Palmer, Alaska

Stephens averaged 4.43 kills, 3.07 digs, 0.64 aces and 0.50 blocks per set as Alaska Anchorage went 3-1 on the season-opening trip to Hawaii. Stephens posted double-digit kills in all four matches and had double-doubles in both matches against Chaminade. Her week with topped with totals of 22 kills, 15 digs, three aces and three blocks in Saturday’s four-set loss to the Silverswords. Stephens came up with 15 kills, 18 digs and two aces in Sunday’s four-set win.

Also Nominated: Cate Whiting (Alaska).

DEFENSIVE
Ellen Floyd, Alaska Anchorage
S • 5-10 • Junior • Pensacola, Fla.

Floyd opened the season with averages of 10.21 assists, 3.64 digs and 0.50 blocks per set in Alaska Anchorage’s trip to Hawaii. She registered a weekend-high double-double of 14 assists and 16 digs with two blocks in Saturday’s four-set loss to Chaminade. She then added 17 digs to go with 36 assists in Sunday’s four-set win over the Silverswords. Floyd opened the season with four aces, 27 assists and 11 digs in a three-set win over Hawaii Pacific on Friday.

Also Nominated: Sophie Schilling (Alaska).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska opened the 2021 season with a split of its Hawaii matches. The Nanooks opened with a three-set sweep of Hawaii Pacific on Friday and also scored a four-set win over the Sharks on Saturday. Both losses came in five sets to Chaminade on Saturday and Sunday.

• Senior outside hitter AveRee Reynolds led the UAF offense, averaging 2.47 kills and 0.82 blocks per set in the four matches. Her best matches came on Saturday, opening with a 14-kill, four-block performance against Chaminade and added 12 kills against Hawaii Pacific. On Sunday, Reynolds posted a high of six blocks to go with nine kills against Chaminade.

• Senior setter Cate Whiting averaged 8.88 assists and 3.76 digs per set. She finished with 47 assists and 20 digs to go with two blocks against Chaminade on Saturday before turning around for 40 assists, 20 digs and four blocks later that day at Hawaii Pacific.

• Junior middle blocker Sophie Schilling led Alaska at the net with 16 blocks. Ten of those blocks came against Chaminade with six on Saturday and four on Sunday. The other five came in Saturday’s win over Hawaii Pacific.

• Alaska is averaging 12.20 kills, 15.80 digs and 2.38 blocks per set through the first four matches. In the shortened 2020-21 season, Alaska averaged 11.44 kills and 15.58 digs per set in 11 matches.

• Alaska will compete in the Seawolf Invitational in Anchorage this weekend. The Nanooks face Central Missouri on Thursday, Indianapolis and Biola on Friday and Texas A&M-International on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage opened the season by going 3-1 in Hawaii. The Seawolves swept Hawaii Pacific in a pair of three-set matches on Friday and Saturday. They took a four-set loss to Chaminade on Saturday before closing with a four-set win on Sunday.

• Junior right-side hitter Eve Stephens was named the GNAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 4.43 kills, 3.07 digs and 0.50 blocks per set in the four matches. She had double-digit kills in all four matches, topped by a double-double of 22 kills and 15 digs with three blocks against Chaminade on Saturday. She closed the week with a 15-kill, 18-dig performance on Sunday at Chaminade. Stephens was the selection of conference coaches as the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year.

• Junior setter Ellen Floyd was named the GNAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week after she averaged 3.64 digs and 0.50 blocks per set while also averaging 10.21 assists per set. Floyd notched double-doubles in three matches, topped by a 42-assist, 16-dig performance on Saturday against Chaminade. Floyd also had 38 assists on Saturday against Hawaii Pacific and 36 on Sunday against Chaminade.

• Sophomore outside hitter Lisa Jaunet opened her UAA career by averaging 2.57 kills per set in the four matches. She finished with 10 kills in each of the final three Hawaii matches and amassed a .412 hitting percentage on Saturday against Hawaii Pacific.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 13.57 kills and 14.57 digs per set through the first four matches. In 2020-21, the Seawolves averaged 12.89 kills and 15.04 digs per set in 15 matches and ranked 17th in Division II with a .238 hitting percentage.

• Alaska Anchorage is one of three GNAC teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Preseason Poll, gaining 114 points to rank seventh among teams receiving votes.

• Alaska Anchorage hosts the Seawolf Invitational this weekend. The Seawolves will face Biola on Thursday, Texas A&M-International and Indianapolis on Friday and Central Missouri on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington opens the 2021 season with three matches at the WWU Invitational. The Wildcats will face MSU Denver on Friday, Sonoma State on Saturday and Chaminade on Sunday.

• Central Washington is among three GNAC teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Preseason Poll, picking up 10 points. The Wildcats are picked to finish third in the GNAC Preseason Poll.

• During the abbreviated 2020-21 season, Central Washington averaged 10.29 kills and 16.29 digs per set in seven matches.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings will host The Yellowjacket Invitational this weekend to open the 2021 season. The Yellowjackets will face Black Hills Stats and Bemidji State on Friday and MSU Moorhead and South Dakota Mines on Saturday.

• Montana State Billings is picked eighth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Yellowjackets went 5-1 in the abbreviated 2020-21 season, averaging 12.14 kills and 17.64 digs per set.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene opens 2021 with a pair of road matches at San Francisco State on Friday and Saturday.

• During the 2021-22 season, the Nighthawks averaged 11.69 kills and 15.87 digs per set while finishing with a 6-9 record. Northwest Nazarene was 47th in Division II with a 2.05 hitting percentage.

• Northwest Nazarene is picked seventh in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll after tying for seventh in 2019.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s opens the 2021 season with four matches at The Yellowjacket Invitational in Billings. The Saints will face MSU Moorhead and South Dakota Mines on Friday and Black Hills State and Bemidji State on Saturday.

• The Saints averaged 10.52 kills and 13 digs per set while playing six matches in the shortened 2020-21 season. The team ranked 45th in Division II with 1.76 aces per set.

• Saint Martin’s is picked to finish ninth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll in Dan Behnke’s first full season as head coach.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific travels to Colorado this weekend, opening the 2021 season at the Oredigger Volleyball Classic in Golden. The Falcons will face Colorado Mines and Colorado Christian on Friday and Colorado Mesa and Midwestern State on Saturday.

• The Falcons went 11-7 in the truncated 2020-21 season, averaging 12.36 kills, 15.61 digs and 2.17 blocks per set. They ranked eighth in Division II with 119 team service aces and ninth with 149.5 blocks.

• Seattle Pacific is ranked to finish fifth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll after finishing sixth in 2019.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser opens the 2021 season with four matches at the Seaside Invitational in San Diego. Simon Fraser will face Azusa Pacific on Thursday, Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State LA on Friday and Point Loma on Saturday.

• Simon Fraser was unable to compete during the 2020-21 season due to the U.S./Canada border closure necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2019 season, Simon Fraser averaged 13.06 kills and 18.47 digs per set.

• Simon Fraser is picked to finish sixth in the 2021 GNAC Preseason Coaches poll after tying for third in 2019.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon opens the 2021 season at the Broncos Fall Classic in Pomona, California. The Wolves will face Concordia Irvine on Thursday, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona on Friday and Western New Mexico on Saturday.

• During the shortened 2020-21 season, Western Oregon averaged 10.41 kills and 14.05 digs per set in seven matches.

• Western Oregon is picked to finish 10th in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington opens the 2021 season by hosting the WWU Volleyball Invitational. The Vikings will face Sonoma State on Friday, MSU Denver on Saturday and Chaminade on Sunday.

• The Vikings amassed a 9-2 record in the shortened 2020-21 season, averaging 13.40 kills, 16.70 digs and 2.65 blocks per set. The team ranked third in Division II in blocks per set.

• Western Washington enters the season ranked No. 14 in the AVCA Division II Preseason Poll. It marks the 109th straight poll that WWU has been ranked dating back to 2012. The Vikings were picked to win in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.