Tuesday, October 18, 2022

A NATIONALLY-RANKED SHOWDOWN THIS WEEK: The road to the GNAC volleyball championship, and perhaps hosting privileges for the NCAA Division II West Regional, are on the line Saturday night in Bellingham.

No. 9 ranked Alaska Anchorage and No. 10 ranked Western Washington will meet for the second time this season on Saturday at WWU’s Carver Gym. The winner will be in the driver’s seat in the conference title chase with three weeks to go.

The first time the two teams met on September 22 in Anchorage, it was the Seawolves winning in a surprise three-set sweep. Senior right-side hitter Eve Stephens led the way with 21 kills and seven digs as UAA hit .228 as a team for the match and did not allow a WWU player in double-digit kills.

Since that time, however, Western Washington has been its usual hard-to-beat self, having won six straight matches with a .247 hitting percentage in conference play.

Alaska Anchorage, meanwhile, has been hard to beat all season. The Seawolves are 21-1 overall and have won 13 straight matches. Of the team’s 11 conference wins, six have come in three sets. Alaska Anchorage leads teams in conference play in opponent hitting percentage (.118), blocks per set (2.70) and aces per set (2.46).

The conference’s third-place teams will also square off this weekend as Seattle Pacific hosts Northwest Nazarene on Thursday. The Nighthawks enter the meeting on a two-match win streak and have won three of their last four matches. The Falcons enter having lost both matches on last week’s Alaska road trip, which snapped a five-match win streak.

FLOYD SETS ACES RECORD: With a five-ace performance against Montana State Billings on Saturday, Alaska Anchorage senior setter Ellen Floyd set the GNAC career record for aces.

The five gave Floyd 200 for her career, which surpassed the previous record of 198 set by Erin Norris of Central Washington between 2006 and 2009. Floyd needs three more aces to become the sixth player in conference history to amass 100 or more aces in conference play.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Natalie Sullivan, Northwest Nazarene
OH • 6-0 • Senior • Boise, Idaho

Sullivan averaged 4.43 kills and 2.43 digs per set as the Nighthawks won both home matches to pull into a tie for third place in the conference standings. Sullivan notched a double-double of 20 kills and 11 digs in Thursday’s four-set win over Western Oregon. She then added 11 kills, six digs and three blocks in Saturday’s three-set sweep of Saint Martin’s.

Also Nominated: Elena Guc (Alaska), Eve Stephens (Alaska Anchorage), Emma Daoud-Hebert (Central Washington), Olivia Schwartz (Montana State Billings), Jocelyn Sherman (Simon Fraser), Gabby Kepley (Western Washington).

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

Long averaged 5.12 digs and 1.12 assists per set to help lead the Nanooks to a pair of wins. Long finished with 15 digs, four assists and two aces in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Montana State Billings. She then came up with 26 digs to go with five assists and an ace in Saturday’s five-set win over Seattle Pacific.  

Also Nominated: Talia Leauanae (Alaska Anchorage), Tia Andaya (Central Washington), Christine Funk (Montana State Billings), Caroline McMahon (Northwest Nazarene), Calley Heilborn (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska put together a 2-0 week for the first time in conference play this season, collecting a three-set sweep of Montana State Billings on Thursday and a five-set win over Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Senior libero Jessa Long picked up her third GNAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week award of the season after she averaged 5.12 digs per set in the victories. Long finished with 15 digs, four assists and two aces against MSUB. She then added totals of 26 digs, five assists and an ace against Seattle Pacific. Long leads the conference with 4.69 digs per set and is 25th in Division II with 403 total digs.

• Freshman right-side hitter Elena Guc paced the UAF offense by averaging 2.50 kills and 0.62 blocks per set. Guc opened with a nine-kill, three-block performance against MSUB and followed it up with 11 kills, three digs and two blocks against Seattle Pacific. Guc enters the week averaging 1.33 kills and 0.52 blocks per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Rilee White averaged 2.12 kills, 2.12 digs and 0.75 aces per set. After finishing with five kills, seven digs and a block against MSUB, White notched a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs to go with five aces and two blocks against Seattle Pacific. White is 10th in the GNAC with 2.72 kills per set. She is second in the GNAC with 0.55 aces per set and 12th in Division II with 47 total aces.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 12.31 kills and 13.99 digs per set. The Nanooks rank second in Division II with 213 total blocks, 10th with 2.48 blocks per set and 33rd with 2.14 aces per set.

• The Nanooks face a tough road test this week, traveling to Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage’s march through conference play continues, improving to 11-0 and extending its win streak to 13 matches with three-set sweeps of Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Senior right-side hitter Eve Stephens averaged 4.33 kills, 2.33 digs, 1.33 blocks and 0.50 aces per set in the two victories. Stephens opened the week with 13 kills, six digs, three blocks, three aces and a .565 hitting percentage against Seattle Pacific. She was just as efficient against MSUB, finishing with 13 kills, eight digs, five blocks and two assists. Stephens leads the GNAC and is sixth in Division II with 4.47 kills per set. She also leads the conference and ranks 15th in Division II with 0.60 aces per set.

• Senior outside hitter Lisa Januet added averages of 2.83 kills and 0.50 blocks per set. She posted six kills and two blocks against Seattle Pacific before adding 11 kills, one block and three digs against MSUB. Januet ranks sixth in the GNAC with 3.03 kills per set.

• Senior setter Ellen Floyd became the GNAC’s all-time aces leader on Saturday. Her five against MSUB gave Floyd 200 for her career, surpassing the 198 by Erin Norris of Central Washington (2006-09). Floyd averaged nine assists, 2.67 digs and 0.83 aces per set last week, topped by her double-double of 24 assists and 11 digs with five blocks against Seattle Pacific.

• Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC and ranks sixth in Division II with a .288 hitting percentage. The Seawolves are second in the GNAC with 13.11 kills per set. They lead the GNAC and rank 11th in Division II with 2.36 aces per set.

• Alaska Anchorage retained its No. 9 position in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Poll for the third straight week.

• The Seawolves travel to Simon Fraser on Thursday before a showdown with fellow nationally-ranked foe Western Washington on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington opened the second half of conference play with a pair of three-set sweeps over Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Junior outside hitter Ashley Kaufman led the way with 3.50 kills and four digs per set in the two victories. She finished with seven kills and 11 digs against Saint Martin’s and then led the Wildcats with 14 kills, 13 digs and a block against Western Oregon. Kaufman is fifth in the GNAC with 3.13 kills per set and is averaging 2.45 digs per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Kylie Thorne averaged three kills and 3.50 digs per set. Thorne finished with nine kills, seven digs and an ace against Saint Martin’s. She then added nine kills, 14 digs, three assists and an ace against Western Oregon. Thorne enters the week averaging 2.04 kills and 2.17 digs per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Emma Daoud-Hebert averaged 2.67 kills and 1.50 blocks per set. Her ledger included 10 kills, five blocks and a .667 hitting percentage against Saint Martin’s. She also had six kills and four blocks against Western Oregon. Daoud-Hebert averages 1.87 kills per ser. She ranks first in the GNAC and second in Division II with 1.44 blocks per set and is third in Division II with 102 total blocks.

• Central Washington is third in the GNAC with 12.80 kills per set. The Wildcats lead the conference and rank ninth in Division II with 2.49 blocks per set.

• Central Washington received votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll for the eighth straight week, picking up 18 points.

• The Wildcats are on the road this week with matches at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• It was a tough road trip for Montana State Billings, which took three-set losses to Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Junior outside hitter Olivia Schwartz led the Yellowjackets by averaging 2.33 kills and 1.50 digs per set. Schwartz led MSUB with 10 kills, two digs and a block at Alaska. She then turned in four kills and seven digs at Alaska Anchorage. Schwartz is averaging 1.91 kills per set.

• Freshman outside hitter Caty Havekost averaged 1.67 kills per set, finishing with six kills, a dig and a block at Alaska along with four kills and a block at Alaska Anchorage. Havekost is averaging 2.71 kills per set for the season.

• Sophomore libero Christine Funk averaged 3.17 digs per set, coming up with six at Alaska and 13 at Alaska Anchorage. Funk ranks second in the GNAC with 4.60 digs per set.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 11.06 kills per set and is second in the conference with 14.51 digs per set.

• The Yellowjackets will play a non-conference match at Rocky Mountain on Tuesday before hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene closed its four-match homestand with two wins, knocking off Western Oregon in four sets on Thursday and Saint Martin’s in three sets on Saturday.

• Senior outside hitter Natalie Sullivan was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week as she averaged 4.43 kills, 2.43 digs and 0.43 blocks per set in the wins. Sullivan notched a double-double of 20 kills and 11 digs against Western Oregon. She then finished with 11 kills, six digs, three blocks and an ace against Saint Martin’s. Sullivan is second in the GNAC with 3.61 kills per set and ranks 21st in Division II with 11.19 attacks per set.

• Senior middle blocker Olivia Wright averaged 3.43 kills and 0.72 blocks per set in the victories. Wright came up with 13 kills and two blocks against Western Oregon before adding 11 kills and three blocks against Saint Martin’s. Wright is fourth in the conference with 3.52 kills per set and is fifth with 1.06 blocks per set.

• Sophomore right-side hitter Miya Koch averaged 2.29 kills and three digs per set. She finished with a double-double of 10 kills and 12 digs with four blocks and a .400 hitting percentage against Western Oregon. Koch then added six kills and nine digs against Saint Martin’s. She is averaging 2.04 kills and 3.03 digs per set.

• Northwest Nazarene leads the GNAC and is 49th in Division II with 13.13 kills per set. The Nighthawks are second in the conference and 39th in Division II with a .239 hitting percentage and 34th in Division II with a .142 opponent hitting percentage.

• The Nighthawks will play five of its final seven regular-season matches on the road, including Thursday at Montana State Billings and Saturday in a third-place showdown at Seattle Pacific.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s dropped a pair of matches as it began the second half of the conference season on the road, taking three-set defeats at Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Tia Allen led the Saints, averaging 2.33 kills and 3.83 digs per set. Allen finished with nine kills and eight digs at Central Washington. She added five kills, 15 digs and two blocks at Northwest Nazarene. Allen ranks third in the GNAC with 3.58 kills per set while also averaging 2.82 digs per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Maddy Gooding averaged 2.17 kills per set in the two matches. She posted totals of seven kills, two digs and a block at Central Washington along with six kills and a block at Northwest Nazarene. Gooding enters the week averaging 1.76 kills per set.

• Freshman middle blocker Loredana Fouonji and sophomore middle blocker Jennifer Soha each had seven blocks. Fouonji finished with six kills and three blocks at Central Washington and added four blocks at Northwest Nazarene. Soha had three blocks at CWU and four blocks at NNU.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 12.30 kills and 13.99 digs per set. The Saints rank fourth in the GNAC with 1.77 aces per set.

• The Saints play just once this week, traveling to Monmouth for a Saturday meeting with Western Oregon.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific took a pair of losses in Alaska last week, dropping a three-set loss at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a five-set loss at Alaska on Saturday.

• The Falcons came back from a 2-0 deficit against Alaska to force a fifth set, but could not overcome a .467 hitting percentage by the Nanooks in the final frame

• Senior opposite Ashley Antoniak led the Falcons by averaging 2.25 kills and 2.88 digs per set. Antoniak finished with six kills and 11 digs at Alaska Anchorage. She then led the Falcons with a double-double of 12 kills and 12 digs at Alaska. Antoniak enters the week averaging 2.46 kills and 2.13 digs per set.

• Junior middle blocker Erin Smith also averaged 2.25 kills per set, finishing with six kills at Alaska Anchorage and 12 kills with two blocks at Alaska. Smith enters the week averaging 1.42 kills per set in 15 matches.

• Sophomore libero Abigail Cunningham led SPU defensively, averaging 4.12 digs per set. She finished with 13 digs at Alaska Anchorage and added 20 digs at Alaska. Cunningham ranks sixth in the GNAC with 3.69 digs per set.

• Seattle Pacific is averaging 11.32 kills and 12.79 digs per set on the season.

• Seattle Pacific returns home this week to host Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser opened the second half of GNAC play on Saturday by taking ranked Western Washington to five sets but fell to the visiting Vikings in SFU’s only match of the week.

• Sophomore outside hitter Jocelyn Sherman posted a solid double-double of 17 kills and 17 digs. She enters the week averaging 2.49 kills and 2.25 digs per set.

• Sophomore outside hitter Brooke Dexter also registered a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs to go with an assist and a block. Dexter is seventh in the GNAC with 2.89 kills per set.

• Freshman setter Eva Person also notched a double-double with 40 assists and 16 digs to go with four aces. Person enters the week averaging 4.80 assists and 1.30 digs per set.

• Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 11.31 kills and 13.93 digs per set. The Red Leafs are among six GNAC teams averaging over two blocks per set, ranking sixth with 2.01 blocks per set.

• Simon Fraser is home for its next two matches, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon took a pair of road losses as the second half of the GNAC schedule commenced, falling in four sets at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and in three sets at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Bailey Hartsook led the Wolves offensively, averaging 3.14 kills per set with a .314 hitting percentage. Hartsook finished with 10 kills, two blocks and a dig at Northwest Nazarene. She then registered 12 kills, three digs and three blocks at Central Washington. Hartsook enters the week averaging 2.44 kills per set.

• Senior outside hitter Sarah Crowell averaged 2.57 kills per set in the two matches. Crowell posted her best effort at NNU, finishing with 11 kills, three digs, a block and an ace. She then added seven kills at CWU. Crowell is averaging a team-leading 2.53 kills per set on the season.

• Sophomore setter Laney O’Neil averaged 5.14 assists and 3.29 per set. She had double-doubles in both matches, finishing with 17 assists and 11 digs at Northwest Nazarene and with 19 assists and 12 digs at Central Washington. O’Neil enters the week averaging 5.07 assists and 1.84 digs per set.

• Western Oregon is averaging 12.34 kills and 13.51 digs per set. The Wolves are fifth in the conference with 11.64 assists per set.

• The Wolves play just once this week, hosting Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington held off a challenge from Simon Fraser in its only match of the week, beating the Red Leafs in five sets on Saturday.

• Sophomore outside hitter Gabby Kepley led the Vikings offensively with 17 kills to go with six digs, three blocks and an ace. She enters the week averaging 2.03 kills per set.

• Senior outside hitter Calley Heilborn notched a solid double-double of 16 kills and 17 digs to go with three blocks and three aces. Heilborn is 10th in the GNAC with 3.25 digs per set while also averaging a team-leading 2.64 kills per set.

• Senior middle blocker Chloe Roetcisoender finished with 12 kills in the match to go with six blocks and four assists. Roetcisoender is averaging 2.55 kills per set and ranks second in the GNAC and 10th in Division II with 1.27 blocks per set.

• Western Washington is averaging 12.75 kills and 14.16 digs per set. The Vikings rank third in the GNAC and 18th in Division II with 2.39 blocks per set.

• Western Washington moved up one spot to No. 10 in this week’s AVCA Division II Coaches Poll.

• Western Washington hosts Alaska on Thursday before Saturday’s nationally-ranked showdown with Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.