Wednesday, September 12, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. - Great Northwest Athletic Conference players won 10 all-tournament awards last weekend as most of the conference teams finished up the non-conference portion of their schedules.

GNAC teams have compiled a 38-33 won-loss record this season, their best composite record in three years.  Last year, GNAC teams finished six matches below .500 and in 2010 conference teams lost 16 more matches than they won.  In 2009 GNAC teams finished on the plus side winning five more than they lost. 

Two players took MVP honors last weekend, including Marlayna Geary of Western Washington and Kimya Jafroudi of Alaska Anchorage. It was Geary's second MVP award in as many weeks.

Joining Geary on the all-tournament team in the Sonoma State Invitational were teammates Samantha Hutchinson and Laurie Yearout.  Three of her teammates - Katelynn Zanders, Julia Mackey and Sarah Johnson - joined Jafroudi on the all-tournament team in the Spring Hills Invitational in Anchorage.

Becky Flores of Northwest Nazarene was selected to the all-tournament team in the Route 92 Showdown co-hosted by Notre Dame de Namur and Cal State East Bay.  Montana State Billings' Monica Grimsrud and Erin Compton earned all-tournament honors in the Colorado State Pueblo Classic.

Conference play begins Thursday with three matches as Central Washington visits Alaska Anchorage, Northwest Nazarene goes to Alaska Fairbanks and Seattle Pacific plays at Simon Fraser.  On Friday, MSU Billings opens at Western Washington, which is ranked 14th in the lastest AVCA poll.  Central Washington is among "others receiving votes" and is 33rd overall.

GNAC Players-of-the-Week