Friday, August 12, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Western Washington’s team leader during its 2021 run to the NCAA Division II national semifinals, senior outside hitter Gabby Gunterman tops the selections to the 2022 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team.

Gunterman, the 2021 GNAC Player of Year, was named by coaches as the Preseason Player of the Year. She was the prime mover in a talented Vikings lineup that went 25-5 overall and won the program’s fourth consecutive GNAC championship and fourth West Region title. Gunterman finished the season with averages of 3.24 kills and 3.83 points per set, ranking fifth in the conference in both categories. She also contributed 0.61 blocks per set. Gunterman amassed double-doubles in 16 matches and had 15 or more kills in 11 matches, led by her 22 at Alaska on Oct. 28.

Gunterman was named a First Team All-American by the AVCA, earned D2CCA Honorable Mention All-American honors and was a consensus First Team All-West Region selection.

The Preseason All-Conference Team has a navy hue to it with five Western Washington players selected. Joining Gunterman is senior outside hitter Calley Heilborn, senior setter Malia Aleaga and senior middle blockers Chloe Roetcisoender and Olivia Fairchild.

Central Washington had three selections to the Preseason All-Conference Team in junior setter/outside hitter Tia Andaya, junior outside hitter Ashley Kaufman and sophomore libero Hannah Stires. Alaska Anchorage landed two selections in senior opposite Eve Stephens and senior setter Ellen Floyd.

Rounding out the squad is Simon Fraser sophomore opposite Brooke Dexter, Seattle Pacific junior middle blocker Hannah Hair, Northwest Nazarene senior outside hitter Natalie Sullivan and Alaska sophomore outside hitter Karli Nielsen.

Heilborn was a First Team All-GNAC selection and also earned Honorable Mention AVCA All-American accolades. She was sixth in the GNAC with 3.22 kills and 4.18 digs per set and tied with Gunterman for fifth with 3.84 points per set. Heilborn shared the conference lead with 21 double-doubles.

Aleaga was an Honorable Mention All-GNAC selection as the Vikings’ primary distributor. She finished sixth in the GNAC and 16th in Division II with 10.96 assists per set. Aleaga finished with 30 or more assists in all but three matches on the season, topped by a 66-assist effort against Cal State San Bernardino on Sept. 11.

Roetcisoender averaged 2.05 kills per set while leading the Vikings with a .330 hitting percentage. She finished third in the conference and was 14th in Division II with 1.23 blocks per set, including a 10-block performance against Central Washington on Oct. 23.

Fairchild, a First Team All-GNAC and Honorable Mention AVCA All-America selection, led the conference and finished seventh in Division II with 1.36 blocks per set. She added 2.46 kills per set with a .326 hitting percentage. Her season highs came against Can State San Bernardino on Sept. 11 with a double-double of 19 kills and 10 blocks.

Andaya was named the GNAC Newcomer of the Year and also earned Third Team AVCA All-American honors after she averaged 2.27 kills, 5.07 assists, 2.24 digs and 0.31 aces per set with a .204 hitting percentage. Andaya set the GNAC single-season record with eight triple-doubles on the season and stands one short of the conference career record.

Kaufman earned First Team All-GNAC honors after averaging 3.13 kills and 2.27 digs per set with a .198 hitting percentage. She finished with double-digit kills in six of the Wildcats’ final seven matches, which included tying her season high of 19 kills against Western Washington in the NCAA West Regional on Dec. 3.

Stires was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-GNAC honors. She led the conference with 4.68 digs per set, which included a season-high of 27 at Western Oregon on Nov. 13. Stires finished with 20 or more digs in 10 matches.

A three-time First Team All-GNAC selection, Stephens earned Second Team AVCA All-American honors and was a Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American. Stephens finished second in the conference with 3.84 kills and 4.47 points per set, ranking 28th in Division II in both categories, with a .257 hitting percentage. She added 0.79 blocks per set and was fourth in the GNAC with 0.42 aces per set.

Floyd, a First Team All-GNAC selection, was third in the GNAC with 10.07 assists per set while adding 2.91 digs per set. She finished with double-doubles in 17 matches. Floyd also led the conference with 0.48 aces per set and was ranked 16th in Division II with 53 total aces.

Dexter was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year and earned first-team honors after leading the conference with 4.16 kills and 4.70 digs per set. She ended the season ranked 12th in Division II in both categories. The AVCA West Region Freshman of the Year and Third Team AVCA All-American added 2.54 digs per set and a .284 hitting percentage.

Hair earned First Team All-GNAC honors in addition to AVCA Honorable Mention All-American accolades. Hair led the conference with a .333 hitting percentage while averaging 2.55 kills per set. She was second in the GNAC and eighth in Division II with 1.35 blocks per set, amassing a season-high 11 against Central Washington on Sept. 18.

Sullivan led Northwest Nazarene with 3.66 kills per set while amassing a .188 hitting percentage. The First Team All-GNAC selection also managed 2.77 digs and 0.23 aces per set. Sullivan finished with 20 or more kills in six matches, paced by her 29 against Simon Fraser on Sept. 23.

Nielsen played 56 sets for the Nanooks in 2021, averaging 2.66 kills per set with a .209 hitting percentage. Playing primarily in a reserve role in her freshman season, Nielsen finished with double-digit kills in six matches with a high of 18 against Central Washington on Oct. 9.