Monday, November 13, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Azusa Pacific quarterback Andrew Elffers will end his career with one more GNAC Player of the Week award after he posted a record-tying effort in the Cougars’ season-ending 56-35 win over Colorado Mesa.

Elffers was named the Football Offensive Player of the Week after he threw for six touchdowns to tie both the APU and GNAC single-game records. He completed 21 of 37 passes for 333 yards and also rushed 12 times for 37 yards. Elffers closed his season averaging 256.8 passing yards per game and led the conference in total offense with 314.4 yards per game.

Elffers was joined by teammate Jacob Hall, who was named as the Special Teams Player of the Week. The junior kicker went 8 for 8 on point-after attempts and also punted six times for an average of 30.8 yards per punt.

Central Washington defensive lineman Billy Greer collected the final Defensive Player of the Week award after he finished with four tackles, including three sacks for 23 yards of loss in the Wildcats’ title-clinching 42-28 road win at Humboldt State. He played a big role in the Wildcats’ single-game record of 11 sacks in the contest.

Western Washington swept the volleyball awards in the second-to-last week of the season. Outside hitter Abby Phelps was named the Offensive Player of the Week after she averaged 4.50 kills and 4.25 digs per set and had double-doubles in both victories over Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin’s. She finished with 19 kills, 15 digs and three blocks in Thursday’s five-set win over the Falcons.

Defensive specialist Aubrey Buckner earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after she averaged 5.12 digs per game, including a 28-dig performance at Seattle Pacific. With the wins, the Vikings extended their win streak to 16 matches.

Concordia guard Jarrett Gray earned the first Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award for the 2017-18 season. The junior was named to the GNAC/CCAA Challenge All-Tournament Team after he averaged 22.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in the Cavaliers’ 88-85 overtime victory over Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday and a 65-64 win over Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday. He had a game-high 25 points against the Otters and hit the game-winner with five seconds left against the Coyotes.

Montana State Billings’ Alisha Breen and Alaska Anchorage’s Hannah Wandersee shared the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award in the opening week of the season. Breen earned Most Valuable Player honors at the West Region Tipoff Classic. She opened by scoring 25 points with five rebounds and five steals in a 68-65 win over Academy of Art on Friday and then finished 19 points and eight assists in Saturday’s 96-57 rout of Holy Names.

Wandersee averaged 20 points and seven rebounds in victories over Hawaii Pacific and Cal State LA. She had her second career double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds to go along with four assists in Friday’s 82-74 win over Hawaii Pacific and had 16 points in Saturday’s 77-50 win over Cal State LA.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 11
FOOTBALL
Offensive: Andrew Elffers (Azusa Pacific, QB, 6-3, Sr., Arcadia, Calif. – Maranatha): Elffers closed his collegiate by tying the GNAC and Azusa Pacific single-game records with six touchdowns in the Cougars’ 56-35 win over Colorado Mesa. Elffers completed 21 of 37 passes for 333 yards and also rushed 12 times for 37 yards. Also Nominated: Austin Pernell (Central Washington), Rysen John (Simon Fraser), Devon Fortier (Western Oregon).

Defensive: Billy Greer (Central Washington, DL, 6-1, So., Tacoma, Wash. – Wilson): Greer finished with four tackles, which included three sacks for 23 yards of loss and one forced fumble to help lead the Wildcats to the GNAC championship with a 42-28 road win over Humboldt State. Also Nominated: Taliuaki Suliafu (Azusa Pacific), Jaryn Bailey (Simon Fraser), Bo Highburger (Western Oregon).

Special Teams: Jacob Hall (Azusa Pacific, K/P, 6-2, Jr., Greenville, Ill. – Greenville): Active on both offense and defense, Hall made all eight extra-point opportunities and also punted six times for an average of 30.8 yards per punt in the Cougars 56-35 win over Colorado Mesa.

VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Abby Phelps (Western Washington, OH, 5-10, Jr., Manson, Wash. – Chelan): Phelps averaged 4.50 kills, 0.38 aces, 4.25 digs and 0.62 blocks per set to lead the Vikings as they extended their current win streak to 16 matches. She finished with a double-double of 19 kills and 15 digs to go along with three blocks in Thursday’s five-set win at Seattle Pacific. Phelps then added a double-double of 17 kills and 19 digs in Saturday’s three-set sweep at Saint Martin’s Also Nominated: Maddie Davis (Alaska), Chrisalyn Johnson (Alaska Anchorage), Cami Heninger (Northwest Nazarene), Rebecca Mitchell (Saint Martin’s).

Defensive: Aubrey Buckner (Western Washington, DS/L, 5-10, Jr., Colville, Wash. – Colville): Buckner averaged 5.12 digs per set in Western Washington’s two victories. She finished with a team-high 28 digs to go with three aces in the Vikings’ five-set win at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and then finished with 13 aces in Saturday’s sweep of Saint Martin’s. Also Nominated: Leah Swiss (Alaska Anchorage), Izela Alvarez (Montana State Billings), Hannah Neumann (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S BASKETBALL
Jarrett Gray (Concordia, G, 6-3, Jr., Beaverton, Ore. – Valley Catholic): Gray was named to the GNAC/CCAA Challenge All-Tournament Team after he averaged 22.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in the Cavaliers’ wins over Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State San Bernardino. Gray scored a game-high 25 points in the Cavaliers’ opening 88-85 overtime win over the Otters, connecting on 10 of 22 from the field. He followed that up with 16 points in Saturday’s 65-64 win over the Coyotes, going 7 for 16 from the field. He hit the game-winner with five seconds left. Also Nominated: Davis Kimble (Alaska), Zack Rollins (Montana State Billings), Jordan Kitchen (Saint Martin’s), Iziah Sherman-Newsome (Simon Fraser), Darius Lubom (Western Oregon), Logan Schilder (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Alisha Breen (Montana State Billings, F, 5-10, Sr., Choteau, Mont. – Choteau): Breen was named the most valuable player of the West Region Tip-Off Classic, averaging 22 points per game with 13 assists, 12 rebounds and five assists in a 2-0 week for the Yellowjackets. She returned to the floor after a year away with injury by scoring 25 points with five rebounds and five steals in a 68-65 win over Academy of Art. Breen then finished with 19 points, a career-high eight assists and seven rebounds on Saturday’s 96-57 rout of Holy Names. In the games, Breen shot 48.5 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from three-point range.

Hannah Wandersee (Alaska Anchorage, F/C, 6-2, Jr., Kodiak, Alaska – Kodiak): Wandersee led the Alaska Anchorage to a 2-0 week with averages of 20 points, seven rebounds and a block per game. She finished with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds and also had four assists in Friday’s 82-74 win over Hawaii and finished with a team-high 16 points in Saturday’s 82-74 win over Cal State LA. Also Nominated: Lexi Carpenter (Alaska), Bailey Cartwright (Concordia), Raquel Jardine (Northwest Nazarene), Elin Johansson (Saint Martin’s), Courtney Hollander (Seattle Pacific), Shelby Snook (Western Oregon), Hannah Stipanovich (Western Washington).