Wednesday, November 26, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - Northwest Nazarene University coach Doug English has been selected the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division II West Region Coach of the Year.

Five GNAC players, including Crusader setter Michelle Terpstra were selected to the AVCA All-Region first team. 

Joining Terpstra, who earlier was voted the GNAC Player of the Year, on the AVCA all-region first team were Western Washington libero Samantha Hutchinson and Viking middle blocker Kayla Erickson, Central Washington setter Catie Fry and Alaska Anchorage outside hitter Katelynn Zanders.

Terpstra and Hutchinson made it a sweep of the all-region teams as they were also voted to the Daktronics first team by the region's sports information directors.

Two NNU players were selected to the Daktronics second team - libero Taylor Roberts and middle blocker Andrea Terpstra.  UAA rightside hitter Julia Mackey was a AVCA honorable mention selection.

Hutchinson was selected to the AVCA first team for the third year in a row.  She joins WWU libero Courtney Schneider (2005-07) as the only players in GNAC history to accomplish that feat.  Erickson and Zanders earned first team AVCA honors for the second year in a row.

Hutchinson's Daktronics award was also her third.  She was a second team pick in 2012 before earning first team honors last year.  Andrea Terpstra earned second team Daktronics honors for the second year in a row.

English guided NNU to a 24-3 record and the No. 1 ranking in the final West Regional poll.  In two seasons at NNU, the 2004 Cal State Northridge graduate has a record of 42-9.

Michelle Terpstra finished the season ranked second in the GNAC in assists (10.78).  She also finished the season with 103 kills, 276 digs and 73 blocks. 

Her setting enabled NNU to lead the GNAC in hitting percentage (.221) and she contributed to NNU's No. 1 national ranking in blocks per set (2.83).

Hutchinson led the GNAC and all of Division II in digs averaging 7.17 per set.  She finished her career ranked second in GNAC history with 2,438.

Erickson ranked fifth in the GNAC this fall in kills averaging 3.43 per set and fourth in hitting percentage (.308). She also finished eighth in blocks (0.98).  Her career hitting percentage of .340 ranks second in GNAC and school history.

Fry ranked fourth in the GNAC in assists, averaging 10.52 per set and also had 206 digs, 87 kills and 74 blocks.  Zanders led UAA and ranked fourth in the GNAC in kills (3.44).  She also ended up second in the conference in service aces with 31.

Michelle Terpstra and Hutchinson, by virtue of their first team selections are now candidates for both the AVCA and Daktronics All-American teams.  Erickson, Fry and Zanders are also candidates for the AVCA All-American team.

ALL-REGION TEAMS

AVCA: First Team - *Kayla Erickson, WWU (MB, Sr.); Catie Fry, CWU (S, Jr.); **Samantha Hutchinson, WWU (L, Sr.); Michelle Terpstra, NNU (S, Sr.); *Katelynn Zanders, UAA (OH, Jr.). Honorable Mention - Julia Mackey, UAA (RS, Jr.). Coach of the Year - Doug English, NNU.  **Two-time repeater *Repeater

Daktronics (SID): First Team - Michelle Terpstra, NNU (S, Sr., Ripon, CA); *Samantha Hutchinson, WWU (L, Sr., University Place, WA).  Second Team - Taylor Roberts, NNU (L, Sr., Nampa, ID); Andrea Terpstra, NNU (MB, Sr., Ripon, CA).  *Repeater