Friday, November 19, 2021

AUSTIN, Texas – Illustrating the strength in the conference both on the floor and in the classroom, the GNAC has claimed five of the eight positions on the 2021 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Division II Academic All-District 8 Volleyball Team.

Conference champion Western Washington landed two players on the team in sophomore outside Calley Heilborn and junior middle blocker Chloe Roetcisoender. Alaska Anchorage had a pair of honorees in junior setter Ellen Floyd and junior right-side hitter Eve Stephens while Seattle Pacific is represented by Seattle Pacific middle blocker Hannah Hair.

Roetcisoender and Floyd received their second Academic All-District awards. Both players were previously selected in 2019.

Heilborn, who has a 3.79 GPA as a behavioral neuroscience major, has been a key factor in the Vikings’ run to their fourth consecutive GNAC championship. Heilborn has played in all 92 sets this season and ranks fifth in the GNAC with 3.28 kills and 3.92 points per set. She has 18 double-doubles on the season, finishing with a season-high of 26 kills at Alaska on October 28.

Roetcisoender owns a 3.92 GPA as an elementary education major and has also played in all 92 sets for WWU. Roetcisoender is fifth in the conference with a .304 hitting percentage and 1.14 blocks per set to go with 1.97 kills per set. She owns season-highs of 15 kills against Cal State San Bernardino on September 11 and 10 blocks at Alaska on October 28.

Floyd, who has a 3.86 GPA as an accounting major, has played in all 103 sets for Alaska Anchorage this season. Ranked third in the GNAC with 10.06 assists per set, Floyd also leads the GNAC and ranks among the top-20 in Division II with 0.50 service aces per set. Floyd finished with a season-high of 52 assists against Biola on September 2.

Stephens, who was the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year, has a 3.89 GPA as an accounting major. Also a starter in every set for the Seawolves, Stephens leads the conference with 4.66 points per set, is second with 3.82 kills per set and fourth with 0.43 aces per set. Stephens has 10 double-doubles on the season and finished with a high of 26 kills against Central Washington on October 7.

While a freshman in terms of eligibility thanks to NCAA COVID waivers, Hair was eligible for the Academic All-District team as a sophomore in terms of academic standing that is in her second season with SPU. With a 3.87 GPA as an exercise science major, Hair was the only underclassman named to the team. She has played in 80 sets this season, leading the conference with a .337 hitting percentage and ranking second with 1.33 blocks per set. She has hit a season-high 14 kills three times and notched a high of 11 blocks against Central Washington on September 18.

With his to the Academic All-District Team, the five players will be eligible for consideration for the CoSIDA Division II Academic All-America Team, which will be announced on Friday, December 17.

The CoSIDA Division II Academic All-District 8 Team is comprised of players from the GNAC, California Collegiate Athletic Association and the PacWest Conference. Also elected to the team were Hawaii Hilo’s Bria Beale, Cal State San Bernardino’s Alexis Cardoza and Cal State LA’s Jeshmarie Suarez.

The Academic All-District teams are nominated and voted upon by members of CoSIDA and recognize student-athletes of sophomore standing or higher who are starters or significant reserves for their teams with a minimum GPA of 3.30 or better.