By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. – The first half of Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball action comes to a close this weekend with a handful of intriguing matchups.
Nicholson Pavilion in Ellensburg, Wash., is the place to be as first-place Central Washington (9-4, 7-0 GNAC) hosts second-place Simon Fraser (10-4, 6-1) on Thursday (7 p.m. PT) and third-place Western Washington (6-7, 5-2) on Saturday (7 p.m. PT). Both the Wildcats and Red Leafs were among teams receiving votes in the latest AVCA national coaches poll released on Monday.
| This Week's Schedule |
| Home Team |
Thursday, Oct. 17 |
Saturday, Oct. 19 |
| Alaska Fairbanks |
Alaska Anchorage (7 p.m. AK) |
BYE |
| RV Central Washington |
RV Simon Fraser (7 p.m. PT) |
Western Washington (7 p.m. PT) |
| Montana State Billings |
Saint Martin's (7 p.m. MT) |
Western Oregon (1 p.m. MT) |
| Northwest Nazarene |
Western Washington (3:30 p.m. MT) |
RV Simon Fraser (1 p.m. MT) |
| Seattle Pacific |
Western Oregon (7 p.m. PT) |
Saint Martin's (2 p.m. PT) |
ALL EYES ON E-BURG: Central Washington puts its seven-match winning streak on the line Thursday night against an SFU squad that has been beaten only by Western Washington thus far in league play. A win for the Wildcats will give them a two-game cushion atop the GNAC standings, while a fifth-straight win for the Red Leafs would pull them into a tie for first place. Western Washington meanwhile will play at Northwest Nazarene (6-9, 3-4) on Thursday afternoon (3:30 p.m. MT), looking to improve to 3-0 in road matches and set up another pivotal contest against CWU on Saturday night. All 10 GNAC teams will have played nine conference matches upon the conclusion of Saturday’s slate, with nine more on the schedule over the next five weeks as the race for the 2024 GNAC volleyball crown heats up.
Marianna Payne led the charge for CWU last week, finishing off a sweep of the Alaska schools with a career-high 20 kills on Saturday to earn her first-ever GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honor. Payne climbed to No. 3 in the GNAC with 3.24 kills per set, while the Wildcats’
Ellie Marble ranks eighth in the league with 2.80 kills per set. Senior
Emma Daoud-Hebert continues to lead the GNAC and ranks fifth nationally with a hitting percentage of .450, more than 100 points higher than the next best GNAC mark. Daoud-Hebert is also on the cusp of cracking into the top-10 in GNAC history in career blocks, entering the week tied for 11th with 428 in her five seasons. Senior libero
Hannah Stires leads the conference with 5.53 digs per set, and her 1,734 career digs are 12th in GNAC history entering the week.
| GNAC Career Total Blocks Leaders (as of Oct. 16, 2024) |
| Rank |
Player |
Total Blocks |
School |
Career |
| 1 |
Kayleigh Harper |
597 |
Western Washington |
2015-16, 18-19 |
| 2 |
Madi Farrell |
559 |
Northwest Nazarene |
2014-17 |
| 3 |
Hannah Hair |
557 |
Seattle Pacific |
2020-24 |
| 4 |
Cammy Dranginis |
473 |
Northwest Nazarene |
2006-09 |
| 5 |
Sabrina Wheelhouse |
472 |
Central Washington |
2014-17 |
| 6 |
Erin Braun |
469 |
Alaska Anchorage |
2013-16 |
| 7 |
Vera Pluharova |
448 |
Alaska Anchorage |
2017-21 |
| 8 |
Chloe Roetcisoender |
439 |
Western Washington |
2019-22 |
| 9 |
Shaun Crespi |
433 |
Seattle Pacific |
2015-18 |
| 10 |
Michaela Hall |
432 |
Western Washington |
2015-18 |
| 11 |
Emma Daoud-Hebert |
428 |
Central Washington |
2020-24 |
Read More: CWU wins 7th straight match (CWU Recap)
CWU's Kennedy Webb (5) and Morgan Halady (12) go up for a block in the Wildcats' home win against Seattle Pacific (Photo: Shayden Hoopai-Waikoloa).
RED LEAFS GAINING STEAM: Simon Fraser is back in the national rankings for the second time this fall, after dispatching Montana State Billings 3-1 and Seattle Pacific 3-1 last week at home. The Red Leafs will travel to Nampa, Idaho for a Saturday match against Northwest Nazarene (Noon MT) after Thursday’s marquee matchup at CWU.
Brooke Dexter led the charge in the win over SPU, converting a season-high 23 kills and completing her fifth double-double of the year with 14 digs. Dexter upped her career kill count to 1,141 and she leads the league with 4.00 kills per set this fall.
Davida Hill also had a productive week for the Red Leafs, upping her kills per set figure to 3.10 to rank sixth in the GNAC.
Eva Person is second in the GNAC with 8.62 assists per set, and
Macyn Unger ranks third in the league with 4.56 digs per set.
Read More: SFU volleyball triumphs over MSU Billings (SFU Recap)
Simon Fraser's Ava Khademi unleashes a serve last week at the West Gym (Gordon Kalisch/Fast Track Photography).
VIKS HIT THE ROAD: Western Washington is among the league’s hottest teams as well, having won five of its last six contests. The lone loss in that span was a five-set nail-biter against the reigning champion Falcons last Thursday, and WWU quickly bounced back from that with a clean sweep of MSUB its last time out on Saturday. The Vikings kick off a difficult three-match road stretch on Thursday afternoon at Northwest Nazarene.
One of the top all-around players in the GNAC,
Devyn Oestreich ranks third in the GNAC in service aces per set (0.50), seventh in digs per set (3.55) and 11th in kills per set (2.57). Oestreich put on a show against the Falcons, capping a double-double with 14 kills and a season-high 21 digs. That total was just two off her career best of 23 digs, achieved on two occasions over the last two seasons.
Emily Vossenkuhl had nine total blocks in last week’s matches, moving her up to eighth in the conference with 1.02 blocks per set.
Hayli Tri meanwhile is sixth in the GNAC with a hitting percentage of .296.
Read More: Vikings bounce back with sweep of MSUB (WWU Recap)
WWU redshirt freshman Hayli Tri ranks sixth in the GNAC in hitting percentage at .296 (Photo: Ubayy Elnogoumi).
FALCONS OUTLAST WWU FOR MUCH-NEEDED W: Seattle Pacific (2-13, 2-5) was staring in the face of falling to 1-4 in conference play last Thursday, trailing 2-0 against the Vikings. Senior
Hannah Hair helped hoist her team up to a come-from-behind victory, finishing with 13 kills and seven block assists. Hair totaled nine more block assists in Saturday’s defeat against Simon Fraser, increasing her career total to 557 blocks. Hair enters the week two shy of No. 2 in GNAC history (Madi Farrell, Northwest Nazarene, 2014-17), and is 40 blocks shy of Kayleigh Harper’s GNAC record of 597 set from 2015-19 during her career at Western Washington.
Sydney Perry had a team-high 14 kills in the win over the Vikings, while four Falcons reached double figures in digs in the match led by
Christina Lopez’s 21. Lopez ranks fourth in the conference with 4.14 digs per set, and senior
Allison Wilks is fifth in the league with a hitting percentage of .299. SPU hosts Western Oregon on Thursday (7 p.m. PT) and Saint Martin’s on Saturday (2 p.m. PT) this week.
Read More: Now that’s a volleyball comeback (SPU Recap)
SEAWOLVES, NANOOKS SET FOR RIVALRY CLASH: Alaska Fairbanks (12-6, 4-4) hosts Alaska Anchorage (10-8, 4-4) on Thursday night in Fairbanks (7 p.m. AK) in a match that will break a tie between the rivals in the GNAC standings. The duo will be the first of the GNAC teams to complete the opening half of their conference schedules. The Seawolves have won three of their last four matches, the lone loss being a 3-1 setback against the GNAC-leading Wildcats last Saturday.
Tia Allen had a big week for UAA reaching double figures in digs in both matches and posting a 19-dig, 12-kill double-double against CWU. That came after 12 digs, and season highs of six service aces and five total blocks in the team’s 3-1 win over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday.
Bethany Tuchardt leads the team with 2.25 kills per set, while libero
Madison Galloway is fifth in the GNAC with 4.00 digs per set and
Leilani Elder is seventh in the GNAC with 1.05 blocks per set.
The Nanooks will look to shake off their first back-to-back losses since opening the season 0-2 on Aug. 29-30, after being swept by CWU last Thursday and falling in a tough five-setter against Northwest Nazarene last Saturday. Senior
Karli Nielson leads the team and ranks second in the GNAC with 3.30 kills per set while holding a hitting percentage of .261.
Ainsley Smith is the GNAC leader at 8.90 assists per set, and
Rilee White ranks sixth in the league with 0.44 aces per set. The blocking tandem of
Elizabeth Jackson (1.17 blocks/set) and
Josie Jansen (1.15 blocks/set) ranks second and third in the GNAC, respectively.
Alaska's Rilee White ranks third among active GNAC players with 909 career kills (Photo: Nate Pearsall).
COMING OFF WIN, NIGHTHAWKS HOST: Coming off an inspiring five-set win to close out its Alaska road trip, Northwest Nazarene is at home this weekend against Western Washington and Simon Fraser.
Abby Black is the top offensive producer for NNU ranking 10th in the GNAC with 2.61 kills per set. Senior
Maren Machado is fifth in the conference with 0.45 aces per set, while leading the team and ranking eighth in the conference with 3.44 digs per set.
Read More: Black shines on more than just the court (Feature story by Craig Craker)
NNU's Abby Black (7) leads the team with 2.61 kills per set this fall.
FUNK STANDS ALONE: With her first two digs last week, Montana State Billings senior libero
Christine Funk broke the school record as her career total now stands at 1,561. The Choteau, Mont., native ranks second in the conference this fall with 5.04 digs per set, and she now ranks 20th in GNAC history in the category.
Jordin Taulua is fifth in the GNAC with 3.15 kills per set and
Jahsita Fa’ali’i ranks seventh in the league with 2.84 kills per set.
Julia Gordon is the team’s most efficient attacker, ranking eighth in the conference with a hitting percentage of .273. Gordon also leads the team with 0.82 blocks per set. The Yellowjackets have a crosstown rivalry match against Rocky Mountain College on Tuesday night (7 p.m. MT) before hosting Saint Martin’s (4-11, 2-5) on Thursday night (7 p.m. MT) and Western Oregon (11-5, 3-4) on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. MT).
| Montana State Billings Career Digs Leaders (as of Oct. 16) |
| Rank |
Player |
Digs |
Career |
| 1 |
Christine Funk |
1,561 |
2021-24 |
| 2 |
Gina Langer |
1,530 |
1996-99 |
| 3 |
Olivia Munro |
1,378 |
2001-04 |
| 4 |
Brandee Sayles |
1,219 |
1994-97 |
| 5 |
Nicole Kruse |
1,198 |
2005-07 |
Read More: Funk breaks MSUB career digs record (MSUB Recap)
Christine Funk's 1,561 career digs are a Montana State Billings school record (Shi Robison Photography).
WOLVES REACH WINS LANDMARK: Reaching its highest win total since 2012, Western Oregon swept Saint Martin’s in those teams’ lone match last week. Seeking to pull its conference record to .500 this week, WOU opens up at Seattle Pacific on Thursday night (7 p.m. PT) before making the trip to Billings on Saturday to face the Yellowjackets.
Madison Hornback increased her career total to 845 last week, and ranks fourth in the GNAC this season with 3.16 kills per set.
Bailee Hartsook is second on the team at 2.53 kills per set and holds a .250 hitting percentage.
Chloe Asciutto is second in the conference with 0.56 service aces per set and leads the Wolves at the net with 0.80 blocks per set.
Read More: Wolves Sweep SMU, pick up win No. 11 (WOU Recap)
WOU's Chloe Asciutto ranks second in the GNAC with 0.56 aces per set (Photo: Clayton Jones).
SAINTS LOOK FOR ROAD MOJO: Looking to snap a three-match losing skid, Saint Martin’s hits the road this week to face the Yellowjackets on Thursday and the Falcons on Saturday. SMU is led by
Emily Garten, who leads the GANC in aces per set at 0.62 and ranks 13th in kills per set with 2.55.
Emmy Hansen tops the team and ranks ninth in the conference with 2.62 kills per set, while
Jennifer Soha ranks second in the GNAC with a hitting percentage of .331. Soha’s team-leading 0.97 blocks per set rank her ninth in the league as well.
Senior Abigail Halstead and the Saints play at MSUB and SPU this week (Photo: Ron Smith).
1,000 KILL CLUB
In the 24 years since the GNAC was founded in 2001, 60 players have accumulated 1,000 kills while competing within the conference. Alaska’s Nielson achieved the feat last week, surpassing the 1,000-career kill mark in the Nanooks’ match on Saturday. Simon Fraser’s Dexter is the other GNAC player to reach the milestone this fall, achieving the feat on Sept. 12 in non-conference play. Entering matches on Oct. 17, three more GNAC players are each within 200 kills of 1,000.
| GNAC Volleyball Active Career Kills Leaders (as of Oct. 16) |
| Rank |
Player |
School |
Kills |
Date of 1k/Needed for 1k |
| 1 |
Brooke Dexter |
Simon Fraser |
1,141 |
Sept. 12, 2024 |
| 2 |
Karli Nielson |
Alaska Fairbanks |
1,050 |
Sept. 28, 2024 |
| 3 |
Rilee White |
Alaska Fairbanks |
909 |
91 |
| 4 |
Madison Hornback |
Western Oregon |
845 |
155 |
| 5 |
Hannah Hair |
Seattle Pacific |
838 |
162 |
L to R: Madison Hornback (WOU), Karli Nielson (UAF), Brooke Dexter (SFU), Hannah Hair (SPU), Rilee White (UAF).
Sydney Perry – Seattle Pacific University
Perry was among the Falcons’ go-to attackers in their five-set win over Western Washington last week, racking up 14 kills while committing just one error for a standout hitting percentage of .419 in the match. She followed that up with a dozen more kills against Simon Fraser last Saturday, continuing her strong offensive output of late. The fifth-year senior from Cave Creek, Ariz., has reached double digits in kills in five of her last seven matches, including her three highest kill totals of the season during that span. Perry is already averaging a career-best 2.38 kills per set this season, and the Falcons will look to use her current strong play to build into GNAC victories.
The AVCA/TARAFLEX NCAA Division II rankings are released every Monday throughout the 2024 season.
| Poll |
Team 1 |
Team 2 |
Team 3 |
| Preseason |
19. SPU |
22. CWU |
RV WWU |
| Week 1 (Sept. 9) |
RV SPU |
RV CWU |
|
| Week 2 (Sept. 16) |
None |
|
|
| Week 3 (Sept. 23) |
RV SFU |
|
|
| Week 4 (Sept. 30) |
RV CWU |
|
|
| Week 5 (Oct. 7) |
RV CWU |
|
|
| Week 6 (Oct. 14) |
RV CWU |
RV SFU |
|
| Date |
Offensive Player of the Week |
Defensive Player of the Week |
| 9/3 |
Larssen Anderson, Alaska Anchorage |
Ainsley Smith, Alaska Fairbanks |
| 9/9 |
Karli Nielson, Alaska Fairbanks |
Macyn Unger, Simon Fraser |
| 9/16 |
Bailee Hartsook, Western Oregon |
Christine Funk, Montana State Billings |
| 9/23 |
Davida Hill, Simon Fraser |
Hannah Stires, Central Washington |
| 9/30 |
Emma Daoud-Hebert, Central Washington |
Madi Smith, Northwest Nazarene |
| 10/7 |
Brooke Dexter, Simon Fraser |
Devyn Oestreich, Western Washington |
| 10/14 |
Marianna Payne, Central Washington |
Hannah Hair, Seattle Pacific |
Oct. 14 GNAC Volleyball Players of the Week
VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Marianna Payne – Central Washington University
First-career player of the week.
Payne helped Central Washington extend its winning streak to seven matches and improve to a perfect 7-0 in conference play with a pair of wins last week. The fifth-year senior from Camas, Wash., led all GNAC players last week with 4.86 kills per set, while posting an efficient hitting percentage of .356. In the Wildcats’ sweep of Alaska Fairbanks last Thursday, Payne led the way with 14 kills while posting a hitting percentage of .333. She followed that with a career-high 20 kills in CWU’s 3-1 win at Alaska Anchorage, notching a .372 hitting percentage. She has reached double digits in kills in five straight matches and 10 of 13 matches overall in 2024.
CWU Head Coach Mario Andaya: “Marianna is growing each week and has embraced her role on the team. Her performance this weekend was fun to watch and was evidence of the work she is putting in. Mod is a great person and it is awesome to see the fun she is having when on the court.”
Also Nominated: Tia Allen, Alaska Anchorage; Elena Guc, Alaska Fairbanks; Julia Gordon, Montana State Billings; Maren Machado, Northwest Nazarene; Davida Hill, Simon Fraser; Janelle Grant, Western Washington.
VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Hannah Hair – Seattle Pacific University
Ninth-career player of the week, first this season.
Hair looked like the reigning GNAC Defensive Player of the Year at the net last week, leading all GNAC players with 16 total blocks and an average of 1.78 blocks per set. The fifth-year senior from Walla Walla, Wash., had seven total blocks in the Falcons’ dramatic five-set win over Western Washington last Thursday. She followed with a season-high nine total blocks – including four solo blocks – in SPU’s 3-1 loss to Simon Fraser last Saturday. In addition to her defensive presence, Hair contributed a season-high 13 kills in the win over the Vikings. Hair leads the GNAC and ranks sixth nationally with 1.43 blocks per set on the season. Hair upped her career total to 557 blocks, two shy of NNU’s Madi Farrell (2014-17) for No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list. Kayleigh Harper of WWU holds the GNAC career record with 597 blocks (2015-16, 18-19).
SPU Head Coach Jason Rhine: “Hannah is a fierce competitor and gets extra excited to play against high-level attackers like the ones Western Washington and Simon Fraser have this year. Hannah came up with big blocks in important moments in those matches, and even added a couple digs and assists. That was really fun to see since she is always trying to help the team however she can.”
Also Nominated: Bella Burney, Alaska Anchorage; Josie Jansen, Alaska Fairbanks; Hannah Stires, Central Washington; Christine Funk, Montana State Billings; Kayci Spray, Northwest Nazarene; Macyn Unger, Simon Fraser; Emily Vossenkuhl, Western Washington.
| 2024 ALL-TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS |
WWU Volleyball Invitational
Sept. 6-7 at Bellingham, Wash. (Western Washington, Host)
Central Washington: Ellie Marble; Emma Daoud-Hebert
Western Washington: Delaney Speer; Devyn Oestreich
Augustana Classic
Sept. 6-7 at Sioux Falls, S.D. (Augustana, Host)
Alaska Anchorage: Madison Galloway; Kadyn Osborne; Tia Allen
Yellowjacket Classic
Sept. 6-7 at Billings, Mont. (Montana State Billings, Host)
Montana State Billings: Jahsita Fa’ali’i (MVP); Christine Funk; Julia Gordon
Yotes Classic Showcase
Sept. 6-7 at San Bernardino, Calif. (Cal State San Bernardino, Host)
Seattle Pacific: Abigail Cunningham
2024 Cougar Classic
Sept. 12-14 at San Marcos, Calif. (Cal State San Marcos, Host)
Western Oregon: Chloe Asciutto (MVP); Maela Honma; Kilinoelehua Helm; Madison Hornback; Bailee Hartsook
Central Washington Invitational
Sept. 12-14 at Ellensburg, Wash. (Central Washington, Host)
Central Washington: Emma Daoud-Hebert; Hannah Stires
Simon Fraser: Brooke Dexter; Macyn Unger
Western Washington: Devyn Oestreich
Denali State Bank Ice Block Classic
Sept. 12-14 at Fairbanks, Alaska (University of Alaska Fairbanks, Host)
Alaska Anchorage: Bethany Tuchardt
Alaska Fairbanks: Karli Nielson (MVP); Rilee White; Elena Guc
Yellow Jacket Invitational
Sept. 12-14 at Spearfish, S.D. (Black Hills State, Host)
Montana State Billings: Julia Gordon
Points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis
| GNAC Volleyball 2024 Preseason All-Conference Team (Aug. 26) |
| Name |
School |
Position |
Height |
Year |
Hometown (Previous School) |
| Hannah Hair |
Seattle Pacific |
MB |
6-1 |
GR |
Walla Walla, WA (Walla Walla) |
| Emma Daoud-Hebert |
Central Washington |
MB |
6-0 |
GR |
Woodinville, WA (Woodinville) |
| Scottie Ellsworth |
Central Washington |
RS |
6-2 |
JR |
Kent, WA (Kentwood) |
| Brooke Dexter |
Simon Fraser |
OPP |
6-2 |
SR |
Anchorage, AK (West Anchorage) |
| Devyn Oestreich |
Western Washington |
OH |
6-0 |
JR |
Olympia, WA (Capital) |
| Allison Wilks |
Seattle Pacific |
MB |
6-1 |
GR |
Bothell, WA (North Creek) |
| Hannah Stires |
Central Washington |
LIB |
5-5 |
GR |
Nine Mile Falls, WA (Lakeside) |
| Madison Hornback |
Western Oregon |
OH |
5-10 |
SR |
Oregon City, OR (Oregon City) |
| Karli Nielson |
Alaska Fairbanks |
OH |
5-11 |
SR |
South Weber, UT (Northridge) |
| Jocelyn Sherman |
Simon Fraser |
OH |
5-10 |
SR |
Victoria, BC (Belmont Secondary) |
| Emily Garten |
Saint Martin's |
OH |
5-10 |
SO |
Placentia, CA (El Dorado) |
| Emily Vossenkuhl |
Western Washington |
MB |
6-1 |
SO |
Ridgefield, WA (Ridgefield) |
| Miya Koch |
Northwest Nazarene |
RS |
5-11 |
SR |
Meridian, ID (Centennial) |
| Delaney Speer |
Western Washington |
OH |
5-11 |
SO |
Maple Valley, WA (Tahoma) |
Preseason Player of the Year: Hannah Hair, Seattle Pacific