Tuesday, August 30, 2022

FOUR PERFECT AFTER FIRST OFFICIAL WEEKEND: The first full weekend of the 2022 season proved that the GNAC is still one of the premiere volleyball conferences in Division II.

The conference emerged from the first week of the season with four teams sporting unblemished records. Only one team came out of the week with a record under .500.

The toast of the conference, so far, is Alaska Anchorage. The Seawolves are now 7-0 thanks to playing an exempt weekend of games in Hawaii. At their own Seawolf Volleyball Invite in Anchorage, UAA scored three-set victories over Lubbock Christian, Emmanuel and Point Loma and a four-set win over Regis. The one lost set against Regis is the only one UAA has dropped this season.

Hosting its own WWU Volleyball Invitational, Western Washington posted a 4-0 record while dropping just one set against one nationally-ranked team and two other teams that received votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Vikings scored three-set wins over No. 20 Ferris State, Sonoma State and Cal State LA and a four-set win over Regis.

The MSUB Opening Weekend Tournament yielded two undefeated programs. Host Montana State Billings went 4-0, collecting three-set wins over Mary, Chadron State and South Dakota Mines and a five-set win over MSU Moorhead.

Saint Martin’s also went five sets with MSU Moorhead en route to its 4-0 start. The Saints’ ledger included a four-set win over Chadron State and three-set victories over South Dakota Mines and Mary.

Tournament action continues over Labor Day Weekend before the conference schedule commences on September 8. Alaska and Alaska Anchorage will be in Fairbanks for the Nanook Volleyball Classic while Saint Martin’s and Western Oregon will compete in the SMU Tournament in Lacey.

For the second straight year, Western Washington will take on some of the best in the country in the Division II Colorado Premier Challenge in Denver.

Central Washington and Seattle Pacific are in Los Angeles for the Cal State LA Invitational while Simon Fraser will be in San Diego for the Point Loma Seaside Invitational. Montana State Billings travels to the Chadron State Tournament in Nebraska while Northwest Nazarene will play four matches in the Bay Area.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Chloe Roetcisoender, Western Washington
MB • 6-0 • Senior • Duvall, Wash.

Roetcisoender was named the MVP of the WWU Volleyball Invitational after she averaged 2.62 kills and 1.69 blocks per set in four wins for the Vikings, including one nationally-ranked program and two others that received national poll votes. On Friday, Roetcisoender finished with seven kills and seven blocks in a three-set sweep of No. 20 Ferris State and then amassed another seven kills in a three-set sweep of Sonoma State. She opened Saturday with a match-leading 16 kills and eight blocks in a four-set win over Regis before closing the week with four kills and four blocks in a sweep of Cal State LA.

Also Nominated: Rilee White (Alaska), Ellen Floyd (Alaska Anchorage), Hannah Hashbarger (Montana State Billings), Olivia Wright (Northwest Nazarene), Brooke Dexter (Simon Fraser), Bailee Hartsook (Western Oregon).

DEFENSIVE
Christine Funk, Montana State Billings
DS/L • 5-4 • Sophomore • Choteau, Mont.

Funk averaged 4.79 digs per set as Montana State Billings posted a 4-0 start to the season. She opened with a 25-dig performance in Friday’s five-set win over MSU Moorhead before finishing with 10 digs and five assists in a sweep of Mary. On Saturday, Funk finished with 18 digs and two assists in a sweep of Chadron State and ended the weekend with 14 digs in a sweep of South Dakota Mines.

Also Nominated: Jessa Long (Alaska), Talia Leauanae (Alaska Anchorage), Emma Daoud-Hebert (Central Washington), Miya Koch (Northwest Nazarene), Kalyn Hartmann (Simon Fraser), Delaney Smith (Western Oregon), Kasey Woodruff (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• After opening the season with a 3-1 record in Hawaii, Alaska repeated the feat in Anchorage over the weekend at the Seawolf Volleyball Invitational. The Nanooks’ victories included a three-set sweep of Emmanuel on Friday, a four-set victory over Lubbock Christian on Saturday and a sweep of Pittsburg State.

• Sophomore outside hitter Rilee White was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 3.31 kills and 2.38 digs per set over the four matches with a .289 hitting percentage. She had double-digit kills in each of Saturday’s matches, registering 18 kills against Lubbock Christian and a double-double of 10 kills and 11 digs against Pittsburg State. White is 10th in the GNAC with 2.64 kills per set and is fourth in Division II with 212 total attacks.

• Senior libero Jessa Long also made the All-Tournament Team after averaging 4.15 digs per set. Long finished with 10 digs, eight assists and three aces against Emmanuel, added 18 digs against Lubbock Christian and 14 digs against Pittsburg State. Long is fourth in the GNAC with 4.04 digs per set and leads Division II with 113 total digs.

• Alaska is third in the GNAC with 12.68 kills, 2.32 blocks and 2.25 aces per set and ranks fourth with 14.04 digs per set. The Nanooks lead the nation in team assists (328), team kills (355), team service aces (63) and team total blocks (65).

• Alaska will host the Nanook Volleyball Classic this weekend with matches against Black Hills State on Thursday, Florida Southern and Arkansas-Fort Smith on Friday and Findlay on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage improved to 7-0 with four wins at its own Seawolf Volleyball Invitational. The Seawolves scored three-set wins over Lubbock Christian and Emmanuel on Friday. a five-set win over Point Loma on Saturday and a three-set sweep of Pittsburg State on Saturday.

• Senior right-side hitter Eve Stephens was named the tournament co-MVP after averaging 4.86 kills and 2.14 digs per set with a .448 hitting percentage in the four matches. Stephens had 18 kills in each three-set sweep (Lubbock Christian, Emmanuel and Pittsburg State) and had a double-double of 14 kills and 13 digs against Point Loma. Stephens is second in the GNAC and 10th in Division II with 4.52 kills per set. She is second in the GNAC and eighth in Division II with 5.26 points per set.

• Senior setter Ellen Floyd shared MVP honors with her teammate Stephens as she averaged 11.93 assists and 2.64 digs per set. She had a pair of double-doubles on Saturday, finishing with 50 assists and 15 digs against Point Loma and 39 assists and 10 digs against Pittsburg State. In the process, Floyd became the UAA career leader with 3,973 assists (No. 7 GNAC all-time). Floyd is second in the GNAC and 20th in Division II with 10.83 assists per set and leads Division II with 249 total assists.

• Senior outside hitter Lisa Jaunet also earned All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 3.71 kills per set with a .373 hitting percentage. Her week included a high of 25 kills against Point Loma.

• Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC and is 14th in Division II with 14.13 kills per set. The Seawolves also lead the GNAC and rank 22nd in Division II with 2.65 aces per set.

• Alaska Anchorage moved up to No. 20 in the first AVCA Division II Coaches Poll of the season.

• The Seawolves will compete this weekend at the Nanook Volleyball Classic in Fairbanks, facing Findlay on Thursday, Florida Southern and Black Hills State on Friday and Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington opened 2022 by going 2-2 at the Rosella Meier Fall Classic in Kearney, Nebraska. After a three-set loss to Washburn on Friday, the Wildcats collected a four-set win over Sioux Falls on Friday and a three-set sweep of Minot State on Saturday. Central closed with a five-set loss to host Nebraska-Kearney.

• Junior setter/outside hitter Tia Andaya was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 2.20 kills, 5.33 assists and 1.73 digs per set. Andaya tied the GNAC career record for triple-doubles, notching the ninth of her CWU career with 13 kills, 21 assists and 11 digs against Sioux Falls. She had double-digit assists in all four matches, paced by her 29 against Nebraska-Kearney. Andaya enters the week ranked eighth in assists per set.

• Sophomore libero Hannah Stires also picked up All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 3.40 digs per set. Stires finished with 10 digs and four assists against Sioux Falls before ending with 25 digs against Nebraska-Kearney.

• Junior outside hitter Ashley Kaufman also earned All-Tournament Team honors with an average of 3.27 kills per set. She finished with 18 kills, nine digs and four aces against Sioux Falls and 17 kills and nine digs against Nebraska-Kearney.

• Central Washington is averaging 12.53 kills and 11.27 digs per set. The Wildcats lead the GNAC and rank sixth in Division II with 2.80 blocks per set.

• The Wildcats received votes in the first AVCA Division II Coaches Poll of the season. They were also among teams receiving votes in the preseason ranking.

• Central Washington takes part in the Cal State LA Invitational this weekend, facing Cal State LA on Thursday, Chaminade on Friday and Biola and Cal St. San Bernardino on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings opened the season with a 4-0 record at its own MSUB Opening Weekend Tournament. The Yellowjackets won in five sets over MSU Moorhead and in three sets over Mary on Friday. They scored three-set sweeps of Chadron State and South Dakota Mines on Saturday.

• Sophomore Christine Funk was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week after she averaged 4.79 digs per set in the four wins. She finished with 25 digs against MSU Moorhead, 10 digs and five aces against Mary and had 18 digs against Chadron State. Funk leads the GNAC in digs per set.

• Senior setter Hannah Hashbarger was named the tournament MVP after she averaged 6.21 assists and 2.93 digs per set. She had double-doubles in three of the four matches, including a 33-assist, 11-dig effort against MSU Moorhead and a 24-assist, 11-dig performance against Chadron State. Hashbarger is fifth in the GNAC in assists per set.

• Junior outside hitter Jahsita Fa’ali’i earned All-Tournament Team honors thanks to her 2.57 kills and 3.64 digs per set. She posted a 10-kill, 15-dig double-double against MSU Moorhead and added 14 kills and 14 digs against Chadron State.

• Freshman opposite Lily Gentz also earned All-Tournament honors with her 2.36 kills per set, which was led by a 10-kill performance against South Dakota Mines.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 11.64 kills per set. They lead the GNAC and rank 27th in Division II with 17.29 digs per set and lead the conference with a .127 opponent hitting percentage.

• The Yellowjackets travel to the Chadron State Tournament this week, facing Sioux Falls on Friday and Chadron State and Minot State on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene opened the season by going 3-1 at its own NNU Tournament. The Nighthawks scored three-set sweeps of Rollins on Thursday and Azusa Pacific on Friday. They took a five-set loss to Texas A&M-International on Friday before ending with a sweep of Emory & Henry on Saturday.

• Senior transfer middle blocker Olivia Wright had a big week, averaging 4.93 kills and one block per set in the four matches with a .475 hitting percentage. She opened with 14 kills and five blocks against Rollins and 15 kills against Azusa Pacific. Wright surged for 32 kills against Texas A&M-International, tying for the fourth-best five-set total in GNAC history. Wright leads the GNAC in kills and points per set. She is sixth in Division II in kills per set and seventh in points per set.

• Senior outside hitter Natalie Sullivan averaged 3.93 kills and 2.93 digs per set. She posted double-doubles in three of the four matches, including a 15-kill, 11-dig effort against Rollins and an 18-kill, 15-dig effort against Texas A&M-International. Sullivan is ranked third in the GNAC in kills per set and is 17th in Division II with 171 total attacks.

• Senior setter Mackenzie Lee averaged 12.91 assists per set in three matches, topped by her double-double of 67 assists and 13 digs against Texas A&M-International. Lee leads the GNAC and is second in Division II in assists per set.

• Northwest Nazarene is second in the GNAC and 33rd in Division II with a .266 hitting percentage. They are also second in the GNAC and 21st in Division II with 13.86 kills per set.

• Northwest Nazarene plays four matches in the Bay Area this weekend, facing Academy of Art on Thursday, Holy Names and Dominican (Calif.) on Friday and Fresno Pacific on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s emerged from the MSUB Opening Weekend Tournament with a 4-0 record. The Saints scored a three-set win over South Dakota Mines and a four-set win over Chadron State on Friday. They added a five-set victory over MSU Moorhead and a three-set sweep of Mary on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Tia Allen was named to the All-Tournament Team after she averaged 3.91 kills and three digs per set in three matches. She posted a double-double of 21 kills and 19 digs against MSU Moorhead to go along with 15 kills and 10 digs against Mary. Allen is fourth in the GNAC in kills and ranks 24th in Division II with 61 total kills and 27th in kills per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Maddy Gooding also earned All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 1.67 kills, 0.58 aces and 0.42 blocks per set. She established highs of four blocks against South Dakota Mines, four aces against Chadron State and eight kills against MSU Moorhead. Gooding is seventh in the GNAC in aces per set.

• Junior setter Karla Soto averaged 8.93 assists per set in her first matches for SMU. She surpassed 20 assists in three matches, paced by her 49 against MSU Moorhead, and added 35 assists and nine digs against Chadron State. Soto ranks fourth in the GNAC in assists per set.

• Saint Martin’s is averaging 11 kills and 13.33 digs per set with a .229 hitting percentage. The Saints rank 24th in Division II with 202 total kills.

• The Saints will host Pacific Lutheran on Tuesday before hosting the SMU Tournament this weekend. Saint Martin’s welcomes Western New Mexico on Thursday, Colorado Christian and Adelphi on Friday and Westminster (Utah) on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific started the Jason Rhine era with a 1-3 record at the St. Cloud/CSP Tournament in Minnesota. The Falcons opened with a three-set sweep of No. 15 Winona State before taking three-set losses to Concordia-St. Paul and St. Cloud St. and a four-set loss to Minnesota Duluth.

• Senior opposite Ashley Antoniak led the way, averaging 2.50 kills and 2.10 digs per set. She opened the season with a double-double of 12 kills and 12 digs against Winona State and closed the tournament with eight kills and eight digs against Minnesota Duluth.

• Junior outside hitter Sarah Brachvogel averaged 2.31 kills and 0.62 blocks per set in the four matches. She posted a pair of 11-kill performances against Winona State and Minnesota Duluth. She also finished with three blocks and three aces against Winona State.

• Junior middle blocker Hannah Hair averaged 1.92 kills and 0.46 blocks per set in the tournament. She closed the tournament with 13 kills, two blocks and a .550 hitting percentage against Minnesota Duluth. She also had seven kills against Concordia-St. Paul and three blocks against St. Cloud St.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 10.46 kills and 13.31 digs per set.

• The Falcons travel to the Cal State LA Tournament this weekend with matches against Cal St. San Bernardino on Thursday, Biola and Cal State LA on Friday and Chaminade on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser went 2-2 at the WWU Volleyball Invitational to open the 2022 season. They took a four-set loss to Sonoma State on Thursday before scoring a five-set win over No. 20 Ferris State on Friday. That was followed by a five-set loss to Cal State LA on Saturday before closing with a four-set win over Regis.

• Sophomore outside hitter Brooke Dexter was named to the All-Tournament Team after she averaged 2.56 kills, 1.56 digs and 0.67 blocks per set in Bellingham with a .310 hitting percentage. She opened the season with 10 kills and 12 digs against Sonoma State. She then added a 13-kill performance against Ferris State and 14 kills with a .419 hitting percentage against Regis.

• Sophomore setter Serena Gentile also earned All-Tournament Team honors as she averaged 4.94 assists and 1.24 digs per set. She posted double-digit assists in all four matches and topped her weekend with a 35-assist, 10-dig double-double against Ferris State.

• Sophomore outside hitter Jocelyn Sherman averaged 2.22 kills and 2.17 digs per set. Her week was highlighted by a 15-kill, 14-dig performance against Ferris State. Sherman also had 10 kills and seven digs against Regis.

• Simon Fraser is averaging 10.17 kills and 12.61 digs per set. Simon Fraser is fifth in the GNAC with two blocks per set and ranks 25th in Division II with 37 total team blocks.

• Simon Fraser opened the season among teams receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Preseason Poll but did not receive votes in this week’s rankings.

• Simon Fraser is scheduled for five matches at the Point Loma Seaside Invitational this weekend, facing Concordia on Thursday, Cal State San Marcos and Cal Poly Pomona on Friday and San Francisco State and Point Loma on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon provided head coach Kaiao Nahale-a his first wins as a head coach with a 2-2 record in the Magic Island Classic in Honolulu. The Wolves won the nightcap both days, defeating Hawaii Pacific in three sets on Friday and Hawaii Hilo in four sets on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Bailee Hartsook led the way for WOU offensively, averaging 2.77 kills per set. She had double-digit kills in both victories with 12 against Hawaii Pacific and 10 against Hawaii Hilo.

• Sophomore outside hitter Madison Hornback averaged 2.23 kills and 2.15 digs per set in the four matches. She registered a double-double of 11 kills and 12 digs against Stanislaus State on Saturday and closed the tourney with 11 kills and a .296 hitting percentage against Hawaii Hilo.

• Junior Emily West led three WOU setters to see action, averaging five assists and 1.54 digs per set. Her best efforts came on Saturday with 17 assists against Stanislaus State and 26 assists, seven digs and two aces against Hawaii Hilo. West currently ranks ninth in the GNAC in assists per set.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 12 kills and 12.92 digs per set. The Wolves are fourth in the GNAC with 2.08 blocks per set.

• The Wolves travel north for the SMU Tournament this weekend. They will face Adelphi on Thursday, Westminster (Utah) and Western New Mexico on Friday and Colorado Christian on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington dropped just one set in winning all four matches at its own WWU Volleyball Invitational. The Vikings scored three-set wins over No. 20 Ferris State, Sonoma State and Cal State LA and a four-set victory over Regis.

• Senior middle blocker Chloe Roetcisoender was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week and the tournament MVP after she averaged 2.62 kills and 1.63 blocks with a .446 hitting percentage in the four wins. She opened the tourney with seven kills and seven blocks against Ferris State and added seven more kills against Sonoma State before connecting for 16 kills and eight blocks against Regis. Roetcisoender leads the GNAC and is sixth in Division II with 1.69 blocks per set.

• Senior setter Malia Aleaga earned All-Tournament Team honors with an average of 10 assists per set, topped by her 43 against Regis. She is third in the GNAC in assists per set.

• Senior outside hitter Calley Heilborn also earned All-Tournament Team honors with averages of 3.23 digs and 2.85 kills per set. Her week was topped by an 11-kill, 18-dig double-double against Regis.

• Senior libero Kasey Woodruff also earned All-Tournament Team accolades after averaging 4.23 digs per set, topped by her 15 against Regis.

• Western Washington enters the week averaging 12.54 kills and 14.23 digs per set. The Vikings are second in the GNAC and 21st in Division II with 2.54 blocks per set.

• Western Washington retained its No. 3 preseason ranking in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Poll.

• The Vikings travel to this Denver this week for the Division II Colorado Premier Challenge. They will face No. 18 Lewis and No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul on Friday. Saturday’s opponents are to be determined.