Tuesday, September 27, 2022

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE: With Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington meeting last Thursday, it was inevitable that one of the conference’s two remaining undefeated teams would take its first GNAC loss of the season.

But the showdown between the conference’s two nationally-ranked teams was more one-sided than anyone imagined.

The home-standing Seawolves limited Western Washington to a .157 hitting percentage and kept every WWU player under 10 kills in a three-set sweep of the Vikings on Thursday. It marked the first time that WWU has lost in three sets in conference play since November 2015.

Alaska Anchorage was firing on all cylinders with a .228 hitting percentage. Senior right-side hitter Eve Stephens led the way with 21 kills, seven digs, three aces and a .333 hitting percentage en route to earning back-to-back GNAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week honors. Senior setter Ellen Floyd finished with a double-double of 32 assists and 16 digs.

The win, along with a four-set win over Simon Fraser on Saturday, allowed Alaska Anchorage to improve to 16-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play. The Seawolves have won their last eight matches and are now 8-0 at home.

The Seawolves climbed to No. 11 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll with the Vikings right behind at No. 12.

FALCONS CREST TO TEAM OF THE WEEK HONORS: Seattle Pacific did what no other team has been able to do since August 26 when it hit the road and beat Northwest Nazarene in four sets on Thursday.

The victory ended an eight-match win streak for the Nighthawks and wouldn’t be the last streak the Falcons ended on their road trip. On Saturday, SPU made the trip to Ellensburg and defeated Central Washington in five sets, stopping the Wildcats’ GNAC unbeaten streak at three. The pair of wins against tough conference competition earned the Falcons selection as the GNAC Team of the Week.

Head coach Jason Rhine was happy to end the road trip on a winning note before returning home. “Both are tough places to play,” Rhine said. “Both were loud, both were tough environments. We’re glad to come away with two wins, and now we’re excited to be back home for the next couple of weeks.”

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

Stephens averaged 4.71 kills, 2.43 digs and 0.57 blocks per set to lead the Seawolves to two more GNAC victories. Stephens came up with 21 kills, three assists, seven digs and a block in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Western Washington, the Vikings’ first three-set loss in conference play since 2015. Stephens ended the week with a double-double of 12 kills and 10 digs with three blocks in a four-set win over Simon Fraser.

Also Nominated: Karli Nielson (Alaska), Ashley Kaufman (Central Washington), Olivia Wright (Northwest Nazarene), Brooke Dexter (Simon Fraser), Olivia Fairchild (Western Washington).

DEFENSIVE
Jessa Long, Alaska
L • 5-4 • Senior • Dixon, Ill.

Long averaged 7.75 digs per set in a pair of four-set efforts for the Nanooks. On Thursday, Long finished with 28 digs to go with seven assists and three aces in the victory over Simon Fraser. She returned on Saturday for 34 digs and two assists in a loss to No. 10 Western Washington.  

Also Nominated: Ellen Floyd (Alaska Anchorage), Hannah Stires (Central Washington), Caroline McMahon (Northwest Nazarene), Allison Wilks (Seattle Pacific), Ava Khademi (Simon Fraser), Kasey Woodruff (Western Washington).

ALASKA
• Alaska procured a home split last week, scoring a four-set win over Simon Fraser on Thursday before taking a four-set loss to Western Washington on Saturday.

• Senior libero Jessa Long was named the GNAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week after she averaged an impressive 7.75 digs per set over eight sets. Long finished with 28 digs, seven assists and three aces against Simon Fraser. She then added 34 digs and two assists against Western Washington. Long is second in the GNAC with 4.62 digs per set and is fifth in Division II with 319 total digs.

• Sophomore outside hitter Karli Nielson averaged 2.88 kills per set to pace the Nanooks. She finished with 10 kills against Simon Fraser before adding totals of 13 kills, four digs, two blocks and a .310 hitting percentage. Nielson is 10th in the GNAC with 2.78 kills per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Rilee White averaged 2.50 kills and 2.38 digs per set. She led the Nanooks with a double-double of 14 kills and 12 digs with two blocks and two aces against Western Washington. White ranks eighth in the GNAC with 2.84 kills per set. She is second in the GNAC and 25th in Division II with 0.59 aces per set and leads Division II with 41 total aces.

• Alaska is averaging 12.61 kills and 14.23 digs per set with a .217 hitting percentage. The Nanooks lead the conference and rank 21st in Division II with 2.32 aces per set. They are second in the GNAC and 11th in Division II with 2.52 blocks per set. The Nanooks also lead Division II with 808 team assists and 174 total team blocks.

• The Nanooks lock horns with in-state rival Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• It is now an eight-match win streak for Alaska Anchorage following a three-set sweep of Western Washington on Thursday and a four-set victory over Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• In beating Western Washington, UAA handed the Vikings their first three-set conference loss since November 14, 2015.

• Senior right-side hitter Eve Stephens repeated as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week, averaging 4.71 kills, 2.43 digs, 0.57 blocks and 5.07 points per set. She led the charge against WWU, finishing with 21 kills, seven digs and a .333 hitting percentage. Stephens had a double-double of 12 kills and 10 digs to go with three blocks against Simon Fraser. Stephens is second in Division II with 5.61 points per set, seventh with 4.59 kills per set and 19th with 0.61 aces per set, leading the GNAC in all three categories.

• Senior outside hitter Lisa Jaunet averaged 2.86 kills per set in the two victories. She finished with eight kills against Western Washington before equaling Stephens with 12 kills against Simon Fraser. Jaunet is sixth in the GNAC with three kills per set.

• Senior setter Ellen Floyd averaged 10.29 assists and 3.71 digs per set. She scored double-doubles in both matches, finishing with 32 assists and 16 digs against Western Washington and 40 assists and 10 digs against Simon Fraser. Floyd is second in the GNAC and 26th in Division II with 10.46 assists per set.

• Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC and is second in Division II with a .295 hitting percentage. The Seawolves are second in the GNAC and 42nd in Division II with 13.22 kills per set.

• Thanks to the win over Western Washington, Alaska Anchorage moved to No. 11 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Poll.

• The Seawolves travel to Fairbanks for their only match of the week, facing Alaska on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split its home openers last week, collecting a four-set win from Montana State Billings on Thursday before taking a five-set loss to Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Junior outside hitter Ashley Kaufman led the Wildcats with an average of 4.22 kills per set. Kaufman came up big against Montana State Billings with 24 kills and a .380 hitting percentage. She then added totals of 14 kills, seven digs and four blocks against Seattle Pacific. Kaufman ranks fifth in the GNAC with 3.20 kills and 3.69 points per set.

• Junior setter/outside hitter Tia Andaya averaged three kills, 5.89 assists and 1.33 digs per set. Andaya posted totals of 12 kills, 29 assists, six digs and five aces against Montana State Billings. Against Seattle Pacific, Andaya finished with 15 kills, 24 assists and six digs. Andaya is ninth in the GNAC with 2.82 kills per set and 10th with 5.16 assists per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Emma Daoud-Hebert averaged 1.78 kills and 1.67 blocks per set. After finishing with nine kills and four blocks against MSUB, Daoud-Hebert came alive for seven kills, 11 blocks and a .412 hitting percentage against Seattle Pacific. Daoud-Hebert leads Division II with 1.48 blocks per set. She also leads the GNAC and is 29th in Division II with a .380 hitting percentage.

• Central Washington enters the week averaging 12.70 kills and 12.20 digs per set. The Wildcats lead the GNAC and are sixth in Division II with 2.57 blocks per set. They also rank 30th in Division II with a .250 hitting percentage.

• Central Washington received votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches for the sixth straight week, compiling 23 points.

• The Wildcats hit the road this week to face Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings continues to look for win No. 1 of the conference season, taking a four-set loss at Central Washington on Thursday and a three-set loss at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Freshman outside hitter Caty Havekost led the MSUB offense with an average of 2.57 kills per set. Havekost led the Yellowjackets with 12 kills at Central Washington before contributing six kills at Northwest Nazarene. Havekost leads MSUB with an average of 2.47 kills per set.

• Freshman opposite Lily Gentz averaged two kills per set. She opened the week with 11 kills, three digs and two blocks with a .476 hitting percentage at Central Washington. Gentz added three kills and a block at Northwest Nazarene. Gentz is averaging 2.16 kills per set.

• Senior libero Hailey Carroll averaged 2.71 assists and 2.29 digs per set. She finished with 11 assists and nine digs at Central Washington before adding eight assists and seven digs at Northwest Nazarene. Carroll is averaging 1.71 assists and 1.93 digs per set.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 11.09 kills per set and is third in the GNAC with 14.44 digs per set.

• The Yellowjackets play three at home this week, hosting Rocky Mountain for a non-conference match on Tuesday before welcoming Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene saw its eight-match win streak come to an end with a four-set loss to Seattle Pacific on Thursday before rebounding to beat Montana State Billings in three sets on Saturday.

• Senior middle blocker Olivia Wright led the Nighthawks with 3.86 kills per set. She led NNU with 13 kills against Seattle Pacific to go along with three blocks. Wright then finished with 14 kills, two digs and five blocks against Montana State Billings. Wright is fourth in the GNAC with 3.52 kills and 1.11 blocks per set.

• Senior outside hitter Natalie Sullivan averaged 2.43 kills, 2.86 digs and 0.54 blocks per set. She finished with eight kills, 11 digs and two blocks against Seattle Pacific. Sullivan added totals of nine kills, nine digs, three aces and two blocks against Montana State Billings. Sullivan is third in the GNAC and leads the Nighthawks with 3.65 kills per set.

• Senior setter Mckenzie Lee averaged 10.29 assists per set. She had 36 assists in both matches, adding three kills, nine digs and a block against Seattle Pacific along with four kills, a dig and two blocks against Montana State Billings. Lee leads the GNAC and is eighth in Division II with 11.08 assists per set.

• Northwest Nazarene leads the GNAC and is 38th in Division II with 13.33 kills per set. The Nighthawks also lead the GNAC and are 30th in Division II with 12.41 assists per set and are 28th in Division II with a .131 opponent hitting percentage.

• For the first time this season, Northwest Nazarene received votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll, picking up six points.

• The Nighthawks are on the road this week, facing Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s put a stop to its four-match losing streak, scoring a three-set non-conference win at Linfield on Tuesday before collecting a four-set win at home over Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Tia Allen averaged 5.67 kills and three digs per set in the two victories. Allen had a double-double of 20 kills and 12 digs with three aces and a .441 hitting percentage against Linfield. The 24 kills is the fifth-best three-set performance in GNAC history. Allen finished with 14 kills and six digs against Western Oregon. Allen is second in the GNAC and 28th in Division II with 3.85 kills per set. She is also 18th in Division II with 212 total kills.

• Sophomore middle blocker Jennifer Soha averaged three kills per set and had a .500 hitting percentage in the two matches. She finished with nine kills and a block at Linfield before contributing nine kills and three blocks with a .750 hitting percentage against Western Oregon. Soha is second in the GNAC and is 29th in Division II with a .380 hitting percentage while averaging 2.04 kills per set.

• Junior setter Karla Soto averaged 12 assists and 1.83 digs per set, posting totals of 35 assists and five digs against Linfield along with 37 assists, six digs, two aces and three blocks against Western Oregon. Soto is fourth in the GNAC with 9.65 assists and 0.48 aces per set.

• Saint Martin’s is averaging 11.98 kills and 14.16 digs per set on the season. The Saints rank third in the GNAC with a .166 opponent hitting percentage.

• The Saints hit the road this week to face Montana State Billings on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific scored a pair of big road victories, ending Northwest Nazarene’s eight-match win streak with a four-set win on Thursday before taking a five-set win at Central Washington on Saturday.

• The two road victories against two teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll earned SPU selection as the GNAC Team of the Week.

• Junior opposite Maddie Pruden averaged 2.78 kills and 0.67 blocks per set to lead the Falcons offensively. Pruden finished with 12 kills, three digs and three blocks at Northwest Nazarene before adding totals of 13 kills and three blocks at Central Washington. She had a .358 hitting percentage for the week. Pruden is averaging 2.11 kills and 0.56 blocks per set.

• Senior opposite Ashley Antoniak averaged 2.89 kills per set. She led the way with 15 kills, five digs, a block and an ace at Northwest Nazarene. Antoniak then had 11 kills, four digs and an ace at Central Washington. Antoniak is averaging 2.44 kills per set on the season.

• Junior outside hitter/middle blocker Allison Wilks averaged 1.11 blocks, 1.33 kills and one dig per set in the two matches. Wilks finished with five kills, five digs and five blocks at Northwest Nazarene. She then added seven kills, five blocks and four digs at Central Washington. Wilks is 10th in the GNAC with 0.85 blocks per set.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 11.09 kills and 12.44 digs per set.

• The Falcons are home for their next three matches, hosting Western Oregon on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser lost both legs of its Alaska road trip, dropping a four-set match at Alaska on Thursday and four sets at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Brooke Dexter led the Red Leafs with 3.38 kills per set and a .371 hitting percentage. She paced SFU at Alaska with 10 kills, three digs and two blocks. At Alaska Anchorage, Dexter finished with 17 kills, five digs, a block and a .516 hitting percentage. Dexter is seventh in the GNAC with 2.93 kills per set.

• Junior middle blocker Kalyn Hartmann averaged 1.88 kills, 1.65 digs and 0.88 blocks per set on the road trip. Hartmann finished with nine kills, nine digs and five blocks at Alaska. She added six kills, five digs and two blocks at Alaska Anchorage. Hartmann is averaging 1.60 kills per set and is seventh in the GNAC with 1.09 blocks per set.

• Freshman setter Eva Person averaged 4.75 assists per set, paced by her 30 assist performance at Alaska Anchorage with three aces, three digs and a block. Person is averaging 3.45 assists per set.

• Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 11.07 kills and 13.41 digs per set. The team ranks 36th in Division II with 123 total team blocks.

• Simon Fraser returns home this week to face Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon lost its only match last week, taking a four-set defeat at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Freshman middle blocker Ella Nordquist led the Wolves with eight kills and two blocks with a .727 hitting percentage. She is averaging 2.04 kills per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Madison Hornback added totals of six kills, six digs, one assist, one ace and one block. Hornback leads the Wolves with averages of 2.58 kills and 2.40 digs per set.

• Senior setter Emily West led the Wolves’ two primary setters with 17 assists. She enters the week averaging 5.24 assists per set but has not met the minimum number of sets played to qualify for the GNAC stats. Sophomore setter Laney O’Neil is ninth in the GNAC with 5.20 assists per set.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 12.27 kills and 13.23 assists per set.

• The Wolves continue their road trip, traveling to Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington split on its Alaska road trip, dropping a three-set match to fellow nationally-ranked rival Alaska Anchorage on Thursday. The Vikings won the 1,000th match in program history on Saturday, beating Alaska in four sets.

• Senior middle blocker Olivia Fairchild paced the Vikings with averages of 3.14 kills and two blocks per set. She finished with eight kills and five blocks at Alaska Anchorage. She then led the way in the win over Alaska with 14 kills and nine blocks. Fairchild enters the week averaging 2.41 kills per set and is sixth in the GNAC with 1.09 blocks per set.

• Senior outside hitter Calley Heilborn averaged 2.43 kills, 4.14 digs and one block per set. At Alaska Anchorage, Heilborn contributed nine kills, 13 digs and a block. She then added eight kills, 16 digs and six blocks at Alaska. Heilborn is averaging 2.56 kills per set and is 10th in Division II with 3.42 digs per set.

• Senior middle blocker Chloe Roetcisoender averaged 2.29 kills and 1.29 blocks per set. After compiling four kills and a block at Alaska Anchorage, Roetcisoender finished with 12 kills, eight blocks and a .375 hitting percentage at Alaska. Roetcisoender is averaging 2.52 kills per set and is second in the GNAC and 12th in Division II with 1.27 blocks per set.

• Western Washington is third in the GNAC with 12.73 kills per set and ranks second with 14.69 digs per set. The Vikings are third in the GNAC and 24th in Division II with 2.35 blocks per set.

• With the loss to Alaska Anchorage, Western Washington dropped two spots to No. 12 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll.

• Western Washington returns home this week to take on Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.