PORTLAND, Ore. – Big performances by the Montana State Billings men’s soccer team and Alaska Fairbanks volleyball team led to sweeps of the latest Great Northwest Athletic Conference Players of the Week announced Monday.
 
The Yellowjackets became the first GNAC team this season to beat No. 10 Western Oregon, with So Nagano and Kolja Thomas sweeping the men’s soccer offensive and defensive player of the week honors, respectively. A pair of wins by the Nanook volleyball team helped them climb into third place in the GNAC standings, with senior Karli Nielson earning offensive player of the week and junior Elena Guc being named defensive player of the week.
 

---

 
VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Karli Nielson – University of Alaska Fairbanks
Third-career player of the week, second this season.
 
Nielson led the Nanooks to a pair of wins last week, helping her team climb into sole possession of third place in the GNAC standings. The senior from South Weber, Utah, led all GNAC players last week with 4.30 kills per set, and her 43 total kills were 14 more than the next-closest GNAC player. In the Nanooks’ five-set win over Saint Martin’s last Thursday, Nielson started her big week with a 20-kill, 17-dig double-double while adding four block assists. She followed that with a career-high 23 kills in her team’s five-set victory over Western Oregon, topping her previous best of 22 reached on Sept. 10, 2022 against Saint Martin’s. Nielson climbed to No. 2 in the GNAC this season with 3.46 kills per set, and her hitting percentage of .268 ranks here ninth in the conference. Nielson has 1,109 kills in her career with the Nanooks, ranking second among active GNAC players.
 
UAF Head Coach Brian Scott: “Karli was outstanding this week. She had moments this weekend where she looked absolutely unstoppable on the attack. She also made some clutch defensive plays and serves in both matches. Karli would be the first person to tell you that she can only be good at what she does because she has teammates that are good at what they do.”
 
Also Nominated: Kayleigh-Shay Chang, Central Washington; Julia Gordon, Montana State Billings; Kingsley Mason, Saint Martin’s; Allison Wilks, Seattle Pacific; Brooke Dexter, Simon Fraser; Madison Hornback, Western Oregon; Devyn Oestreich, Western Washington.
 

---

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Elena Guc – University of Alaska Fairbanks
First-career player of the week.
 
Guc played an equally important role in the Nanooks’ pair of victories last week, on the way to her first GNAC Player of the Week award. The junior from East China, Mich., tied for the most total blocks among all GNAC players last week with 10, averaging 1.0 blocks per set. In the win over the Saints, Guc came through with six total blocks which was one off her season high. She followed with four blocks in the win over the Wolves. Also contributing offensively, Guc reached double figures in kills in both matches with 10 against SMU and 13 more against WOU.
 
UAF Head Coach Brian Scott: “Elena seemed to make the right play at the right time all weekend. When we needed to have a kill she got it. If it was a stop we needed, she came up with the block. She was extremely good at making the right decisions at all the right times.”
 
Also Nominated: Hannah Stires, Central Washington; Christine Funk, Montana State Billings; Kayci Spray, Northwest Nazarene; Jennifer Soha, Saint Martin’s; Macyn Unger, Simon Fraser; Dani Johnson, Western Washington.
   

---

MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
So Nagano – Montana State Billings
First-career player of the week.
 
Nagano tied for the GNAC lead with two goals last week and helped the Yellowjackets become the first conference team this season to defeat No. 10 Western Oregon. The junior from Kobe, Japan got the scoring started in the Yellowjackets’ 4-0 triumph at Saint Martin’s last Thursday, notching his first game-winner of the season. His most important contribution of the week came two days later, when he found the net against the Wolves to pull his team even at 1-1. Nagano increased his season goal tally to seven, moving him up to second in the GNAC in scoring this fall.

MSUB Head Coach Paul Cuevas: “So played a crucial part for us this weekend, finding himself in goal-scoring positions in both games and finding the back of the net twice. His work ethic on and off the ball continues to impress us and definitely stood out Saturday afternoon in Oregon. He continues to grow and embrace his role on this team, and we hope he continues to perform going forward.”
 
Also Nominated: Judah Johnston, Seattle Pacific; Koji Poon, Simon Fraser; Eric Bunnell, Western Washington.
   

---

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kolja Thomas – Montana State Billings
Second-career player of the week, first this season.
 
Thomas was not only the defensive anchor in MSUB’s two wins last week, but pushed forward to score the game-winning goal in the victory over the Wolves. The junior from Butjadingen, Germany, helped the ‘Jackets pick up their sixth shutout of the season in the blanking of Saint Martin’s. His second goal of the season and fifth in his MSUB career was perhaps his biggest ever, as he broke the 1-1 tie with WOU in the 74th minute on an assist from Guillermo Gonzalez. After missing the first month of the season with an injury, the center back has helped the Yellowjackets climb into a tie for second place in the GNAC standings with 13 points.

MSUB Head Coach Paul Cuevas: “Kolja was defensively solid this weekend, helping our team secure a clean sheet Thursday. He’s known for being a game-changer and he did just that on Saturday, stepping up when the team needed him most. We hope we continue to see this positive progression he has had throughout the season.”
 
Also Nominated: Jackson Goode, Seattle Pacific; Joar Tidblom, Western Washington.
 

---

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Halle Noel – Western Washington University
First-career player of the week.
 
The Vikings pushed their unbeaten streak to 10 matches and their winning streak to six matches thanks in large part to the play of their senior captain. In addition to her role as a rock on a back line that did not concede a goal last week, Noel took it upon herself to impact an offense that tallied six goals. The Puyallup, Wash., native creatively snuck in behind the Northwest Nazarene back line on Thursday, heading home her first goal of the season off a set piece. She followed that by providing a pair of assists in the Vikings’ 4-0 triumph over Central Washington on Saturday, marking her first career game with multiple assists. The goal was the second in Noel’s career and she upped her career assist count to nine. A four-year starter, Noel has played in 68 matches for WWU since 2021 and was a key member of the Vikings’ 2022 NCAA Division II national championship team. The Vikings were the first team to clinch their spot in the 2024 GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships, and they enter the week in first place in the standings with 26 points – seven clear of second-place Seattle Pacific and Simon Fraser.
 
WWU Head Coach Travis Connell: “Halle is one of the leaders on our team. She sets a great example and inspires others to believe in themselves and rise to the occasion. She is playing really well right now and is impacting the game at both ends of the field.”
 
Also Nominated: Casey Park, Central Washington; Liberty Palmer, Montana State Billings; Brianna Yamada, Saint Martin’s; Andie Buckley, Seattle Pacific; Mikayla Tupper, Simon Fraser.
 

---

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophia Pierce – Western Oregon University
Second-career player of the week, first this season.
 
Pierce was the driving force behind helping the Wolves extend their shutout streak to six matches last week, as WOU battled SPU and MSU Billings to a pair of scoreless draws. The junior from Missoula, Mont., led all GNAC goalkeepers with 16 saves last week, with 12 of those coming in the battle against Seattle Pacific. Pierce faced a season-high 23 shots in that match, and managed to keep the Falcons out of the net on their 12 tries that landed on frame. Pierce followed with four saves against the Yellowjackets, claiming her GNAC-leading seventh shutout of the year. Pierce ranks second in the GNAC in save percentage at .861, third in the GNAC in goals-against average at .714 and has not allowed more than two goals in any match this fall. Pierce has led a defensive unit that set the school record for consecutive scoreless minutes, as WOU enters this week having conceded zero goals in its last 617:33 minutes on the pitch. Pierce’s current streak of 572:33 minutes without allowing a goal is the 16th-longest by a goalkeeper in GNAC history. WOU enters the week in fourth place in the GNAC standings with 17 points, holding an eight-point cushion over Northwest Nazarene and Montana State Billings.
 
WOU Head Coach Kacey Bingham: “Sophia has been a game-changer in goal for us. Her shot-stopping ability and athleticism has been seen over and over. She has been a rock for our defense.”
 
Also Nominated: Danika Galbraith, Central Washington; Megan Mendenhall, Montana State Billings; Flavia Burrell, Saint Martin’s; Mercedes Cullen, Seattle Pacific; Kate Smith, Simon Fraser; Mie Cairns, Western Washington.
 

---

WOMEN’S GOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lauren F. Lee – Western Washington University
First-career player of the week.
 
Lee had a big week in Hawaii for the Vikings, finishing in a tie for the best performance by a GNAC golfer in both events that she played in. At the Dennis Rose Invitational to start the week, Lee posted a two-round score of 2-over-par 146 (74-72), tying her for second place among a field of 78 competitors. Lee then carded a two-round score of 3-over-par 147 (73-74) at the Hawaii Pacific Sharks Shootout to close the week, tying for 10th among another field of 78 players. Lee’s even-par 72 in the second round of the Dennis Rose Invitational was her team-leading second score of par or better this fall. The junior transfer from Biola University climbed to second in the GNAC in scoring average at 75.1 strokes per round across her first four tournaments as a Viking.

WWU Head Coach Luke Bennett: "It was a fantastic week for Lauren, and she was rock-solid in both events. She stayed composed and very focused on each shot. We have seen this coming for some time. Her game has been solid all fall and was really coming into form before we left for Hawaii. All of her hard work is paying off."
 
Also Nominated: Orraya Tipasathien, Montana State Billings; Kelsie Inouye, Saint Martin’s; Izzy Ferguson, Simon Fraser.
 

---

MEN’S GOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Denby Carswell – Simon Fraser University
Fourth-career player of the week, first this season.
 
Carswell was the most consistent among GNAC players at last week’s pair of tournaments in Hawaii, finishing as the second-highest GNAC player in both events. The sophomore from Burnaby, B.C., recorded his second top-10 finish of the season at the Dennis Rose Invitational, tying for sixth place among 106 golfers with a two-round score of 5-under-par 139 (70-69). Carswell followed by tying for 29th among 105 players at the Hawaii Pacific Sharks Shootout, with a 3-under-par 141 (69-72). Carswell was the only GNAC player to make par or better in all four of his rounds last week, and he has done so in 11 of 13 rounds played this fall. The reigning GNAC Freshman of the Year climbed to No. 3 on the GNAC scoring average leaderboard with 71.6 strokes per round this season.

SFU Head Coach Krysta Schaus: “Denby has set ambitious yet realistic goals for himself this season, and he is steadily working toward them with each event. His top-10 finish at Hilo demonstrated that progress, as he led the field in par-5 scoring and ranked second in par-3 scoring. His putter stayed hot throughout both Hilo and HPU events, highlighting his talent on the green which led to a total of 18 birdies.”
 
Also Nominated: Benjamin Mulder, Northwest Nazarene; Peter Dionne-Yahr, Western Washington.