Sunday, November 13, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – The top of the class not only in the GNAC but also in the region, Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington lead three GNAC teams selected to participate in the NCAA Division II Volleyball National Championship.

The No. 1 seeded Seawolves, No. 2 seeded Vikings and No. 7 seeded Central Washington will take part in this year’s West Regional Championship, which runs Thursday through Saturday at Western Washington’s Carver Gym.

Alaska Anchorage will meet No. 8 seeded Chaminade in Thursday’s opening round at 2:30 p.m. while Western Washington and Central Washington will meet for the third time this season at 7:30 p.m.

The remaining first-round matches features matchups between CCAA squads. No. 4 seeded Cal Poly Pomona taking on No. 5 seeded Cal State San Bernardino at noon while No. 3 seeded Cal State LA will face No. 6 seeded Sonoma State at 5 p.m.

Making its 11th tournament appearance in the GNAC era, Alaska Anchorage earned the No. 1 seed after tearing through the regular season with a 27-2 overall record. The Seawolves compiled a 17-1 conference mark, claiming the program’s fourth GNAC championship and their first since 2016. Their ledger included winning their first eight matches of the season and a 13-match win streak that ran from Sept. 2 to Oct. 15.

The Seawolves enter the West Regional ranked eighth in Division II with a .274 hitting percentage, seventh with 2.39 aces per set and 15th with 239 total aces. They lead the West Region in hitting percentage and win-loss percentage (.931) and rank second in aces per set and opponent hitting percentage (.143).

Western Washington is making its 10th straight NCAA Championships appearance, 16th overall, and is hosting the regional for the first time since 2018. After making a run to the Division II semifinals last year, the Vikings have amassed a 21-5 overall record and a 16-2 conference mark. Their only two GNAC defeats were to Alaska Anchorage. After a challenging non-conference schedule that included a number of top-25 teams, the Vikings rolled in conference play and enter the tournament with a six-match win streak.

The Vikings are one of the top blocking teams in Division II, ranking eighth with 2.50 blocks per set. Western Washington also ranks 30th in the division with a .249 hitting percentage. They lead the GNAC and rank third among West Region programs with 12.18 assists per set and fourth in the region in blocks per set.

Like its Evergreen State counterparts, Central Washington is making its 10th consecutive NCAA Championships appearance after tying for third in the GNAC with an 11-7 conference mark and a 16-10 overall record. The Wildcats secured their spot in the postseason thanks to a stretch in October where they won six of eight matches. The run came after a non-conference schedule that saw CWU go 5-3.

The top blocking team in the GNAC, Central Washington ranks fourth in Division II with 2.56 blocks per set and is 15th with 256.5 total blocks. The Wildcats rank second in the GNAC with 12.13 assists per set and third with a .232 hitting percentage. They are second among West Region teams in blocks per set.

The NCAA West Regional will mark the second time that Alaska Anchorage and Chaminade have met this season. The Seawolves scored a three-set sweep over the Silverswords in Honolulu on Aug. 20. Western Washington beat Central Washington twice during the regular-season, scoring a four-set win in Bellingham on Sept. 29 and a five-set win in Ellensburg on Oct. 29.