By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – Each leading their respective teams to successful 2024 season, Simon Fraser’s Brooke Dexter and Central Washington’s Hannah Stires took home the top individual awards upon the announcement of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball all-conference team on Tuesday.
 
Dexter, a senior opposite, was named the GNAC Player of the Year and Stires, a senior libero, was tabbed the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. Simon Fraser’s Eva Person was voted by the league’s coaches as the GNAC Setter of the Year, Western Oregon’s Maela Honma was the GNAC Freshman of the Year and Mario Andaya, who led Central Washington (18-6, 16-2) to its first GNAC title since 2005, was named the GNAC Coach of the Year.
 
 
Dexter is the first player in Simon Fraser history to garner the league’s top individual honor, while Person took home the conference’s inaugural Setter of the Year award. Stires, who was the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2021, became the fourth player in GNAC history to claim that honor two times. Honma was the first Western Oregon player to earn the GNAC Freshman of the Year award. Andaya earned his third Coach of the Year award, after winning it along with back-to-back league titles in 2004-05.
 

GNAC Volleyball Special Award Winners
Player of the Year	Brooke Dexter, Simon Fraser
Defensive Player of the Year	Hannah Stires, Central Washington
Setter of the Year	Eva Person, Simon Fraser
Freshman of the Year	Maela Honma, Western Oregon
Coach of the Year	Mario Andaya, Central Washington

 

First-Team All-Conference
Player	School	Pos.	Ht.	Year	Hometown (Previous School)
*!+# Brooke Dexter	Simon Fraser	OPP	6-2	Sr.	Anchorage, Alaska (West Anchorage)
*^+# Hannah Stires	Central Washington	L	5-5	Sr.	Nine Mile Falls, Wash. (Lakeside)
*# Karli Nielson	Alaska Fairbanks	OH	5-11	Sr.	South Weber, Utah (Northridge)
!# Emma Daoud-Hebert	Central Washington	MB	6-0	Sr.	Woodinville, Wash. (Woodinville)
*!+# Hannah Hair	Seattle Pacific	MB	6-1	Sr.	Walla Walla, Wash. (Walla Walla)
*# Devyn Oestreich	Western Washington	OH	6-0	Jr.	Olympia, Wash. (Capital)
* Davida Hill	Simon Fraser	OH	6-0	Jr.	Surrey, B.C. (Pacific Academy)
*# Madison Hornback	Western Oregon	OH	5-10	Sr.	Oregon City, Ore. (Oregon City)
@ Marianna Payne	Central Washington	OH	6-0	Sr.	Camas, Wash. (Central Catholic)
Rilee White	Alaska Fairbanks	OH	5-11	Sr.	Goodyear, Ariz. (Odyssey)
Eva Person	Simon Fraser	S	5-10	Jr.	Brentwood Bay, B.C. (Stelly's)
$@ Emily Tulino	Seattle Pacific	S	5-7	Sr.	Carlsbad, Calif. (La Costa Canyon)
Maren Machado	Northwest Nazarene	OH	5-10	Sr.	Eatonville, Wash. (Rogers)
Katie Birtcil	Alaska Anchorage	OH	6-0	Sr.	Tucson, Ariz. (New Mexico State)
*-Unanimous Selection | # First Team in 2023 | $ Honorable Mention in 2023 ! First Team in 2022 | ^ Honorable Mention in 2022 + First Team in 2021 | @ Honorable Mention in 2021

 

Honorable Mention All-Conference
Player	School	Pos.	Ht.	Year	Hometown (Previous School)
Elena Guc	Alaska Fairbanks	RS	6-0	Jr.	East China, Mich. (Cardinal Mooney)
Ainsley Smith	Alaska Fairbanks	S	5-10	Jr.	North Pole, Alaska (North Pole)
^ Tia Allen	Alaska Anchorage	OH	5-11	Jr.	Clayton, Wash. (Saint Martin's)
Morgan Halady	Central Washington	MB	6-2	Sr.	Indianola, Wash. (Kingston)
Ellie Marble	Central Washington	OH	6-0	So.	La Conner, Wash. (La Conner)
$ Christine Funk	Montana State Billings	L	5-4	Sr.	Choteau, Mont. (Choteau)
Julia Gordon	Montana State Billings	MB	6-1	So.	Farmington, Minn. (Farmington)
Abby Black	Northwest Nazarene	OH	5-11	So.	Wenatchee, Wash. (Wenatchee)
Jennifer Soha	Saint Martin's	MB	6-1	Sr.	Las Vegas, Nev. (Green Valley)
^# Allison Wilks	Seattle Pacific	MB	6-1	Sr.	Bothell, Wash. (North Creek)
Macyn Unger	Simon Fraser	L	5-9	So.	Prince George, B.C. (Duchess Park)
! Bailee Hartsook	Western Oregon	RS	5-10	Sr.	Sweet Home, Ore. (Sweet Home)
Dani Johnson	Western Washington	MB	6-2	Fr.	Spokane, Wash. (Mead)
Delaney Speer	Western Washington	OH	5-11	So.	Maple Valley, Wash. (Tahoma)
$ Emily Vossenkuhl	Western Washington	MB	6-1	So.	Ridgefield, Wash. (Ridgefield)
*-Unanimous Selection | # First Team in 2023 | $ Honorable Mention in 2023 ! First Team in 2022 | ^ Honorable Mention in 2022 + First Team in 2021 | @ Honorable Mention in 2021

The top attacker in the conference from start to finish this season, Dexter led the league with 3.97 kills per set – 0.49 kills per set more than the next closest player. The senior from Anchorage, Alaska, is among six players in GNAC history to earn first-team all-conference four times, joining Western Washington’s Kayleigh Harper and Abby Phelps and Alaska Anchorage’s Julia Mackey and Eve Stephens. Dexter ranked fifth in the league with an attack percentage of .300 and 13th with 0.35 aces per set. Dexter’s average of 4.64 points per set was 0.61 points per set higher than the next closest GNAC player. Dexter has 1,290 career kills, ranking her 16th on the GNAC all-time list. Her efforts this season helped lead SFU to its third NCAA Championships berth, where it will face No. 10 Cal Poly Pomona on Dec. 5.
 
Stires, who is eighth in GNAC history with 1,962 digs and 10th with 4.93 digs per set, led the conference with 5.69 digs per set in her final collegiate season. The fifth-year senior from Nine Mile Falls, Wash., reached double digits in digs in all 21 of the matches she’s played in thus far, including a season-high 33 on Nov. 9 against Alaska Fairbanks. The preeminent libero in the NCAA West Region, Stires’ digs per set average this fall ranks ninth nationally. She earned first-team all-conference for the third time, after being a first-team pick in 2021 and 2023 and an honorable mention selection in 2022.
 
Person was voted the league’s top setter after leading the conference with 8.85 assists per set this season. The junior from Brentwood Bay, B.C., earned first-team all-conference for the first time in her career, after chipping in 2.77 digs per set and 0.38 aces per set to go along with her league-leading assists figure. Person, who was the 2022 GNAC Freshman of the Year, reached double digits in assists in all 25 matches this season, including a career-best 49 on Nov. 14 against Northwest Nazarene. Person’s 2,156 career assists are the second most among active GNAC players.
 
Delivering a solid all-around debut collegiate season, Honma played in all 27 matches for the Wolves and averaged 2.51 kills per set and 2.68 digs per set. Her figure of 0.45 aces per set ranked her fifth in the conference, and overall she was 14th in the league with 3.06 points per set – the most by any GNAC freshman. The Hilo, Hawaii native had 11 double-doubles in 2024 including season highs of 20 digs (Nov. 2 at Simon Fraser) and 18 kills (Nov. 21 at Northwest Nazarene).
 
Ranking second in GNAC history in career victories with an overall record of 408-222 (.648) (since the conference was formed in 2001), Andaya delivered the Wildcats’ third conference title after leading the team to a 16-2 record in conference play. That pushed his all-time GNAC record to 288-130 (.689), also marking the second-highest win total in conference history. The Wildcats will get set for a first-round NCAA regional matchup on Dec. 5 against No. 12 Point Loma, which will mark their 11th straight NCAA appearance and 14th in the 24-year history of the GNAC.
 
Helping lead the Wildcats to the title and each earning first-team all-conference recognition were seniors Emma Daoud-Hebert and Marianna Payne. Daoud-Hebert, a 2023 All-American, earned first-team honors for the third consecutive season after putting up big numbers on both sides of the ball. The Woodinville, Wash., native ranks second in Division II volleyball with an attack percentage of .446 and is on pace to break the GNAC single season record of .425, set by Western Oregon’s Krissi Kemper in 2012. In addition to her offensive efficiency, Daoud-Hebert ranks fourth in the GNAC with 1.15 blocks per set. Putting the finishing touches on a stellar five-year career, Daoud-Hebert is fourth in GNAC history with 482 career blocks and fifth in GNAC history with 1.33 blocks per set.
 
Saving her best collegiate season for last, Payne helped lead the CWU attack with 3.28 kills per set to rank third in the conference. She played in all 24 of CWU’s matches, reaching double figures in kills 17 times including a season-high 20 on Oct. 12 at Alaska Anchorage. Payne also completed four double-doubles in 2024, with a season-high 17 digs to go along with 14 kills on Nov. 9 against Alaska Fairbanks. This is the second career all-conference recognition for Payne, who was an honorable mention pick as a sophomore in 2021. She has totaled 818 kills and an average of 2.54 kills per set in her 88 career matches played.
 
After tying for second place in the GNAC standings, the Alaska Nanooks (21-7, 13-5) had a pair of first-team all-conference selections. Putting together the finest season of her five-year career, senior outside hitter Karli Nielson was a unanimous first-team pick for the second straight season. The South Weber, Utah, native ranked second in the GNAC with 3.48 kills per set and 11th in the league with a hitting percentage of .257. Nielson tallied eight double-doubles this fall, with season highs of 23 kills on Oct. 26 against Western Oregon and 20 digs on Sept. 19 against Western Washington. Nielson’s 1,201 career kills were the second most among active GNAC players this season, and she played in 120 matches in her career as a Nanook.
 
Alaska’s Rilee White, another fifth-year senior, picked up her first-career all-conference accolades with first-team recognition. One of the league’s top all-around players, White ranked second in the GNAC with 0.53 aces per set and contributed 2.45 kills per set and 2.39 digs per set. The Goodyear, Ariz., native totaled six double-doubles this season, and had a season-high 19 kills on Sept. 7 against Azusa Pacific, a season-high 17 digs on Nov. 9 against central Washington and a season-high six service aces on Sept. 26 against Western Oregon. White broke the GNAC all-time record with 217 career aces, and also joined the 1,000-kill/1,000 dig club.
 
In addition to Dexter and Person, Simon Fraser senior outside hitter Davida Hill made it three Red Leafs to garner first-team recognition. Enjoying the most productive of her four seasons at Simon Fraser, Hill finished the regular season fifth in the GNAC with 3.02 kills per set and 14th in the league with a hitting percentage of .246. The Surrey, B.C., native reached double digits in kills 15 times in 25 matches played, including a career-best 22 kills on Sept. 6 against Point Loma. Hill also contributed six double-doubles, with a career-best 18 digs coming on Oct. 12 against Seattle Pacific. A unanimous selection, Hill earned all-GNAC honors for the first time in her career after helping the Red Leafs (17-8, 13-5) tie for second in the GNAC standings.
   
Western Washington standout Devyn Oestreich was a unanimous first-team all-conference selection for the second straight season, after turning in another stellar all-around campaign. The junior from Olympia, Wash., had 13 double-doubles across the Vikings’ 24 matches, including six in a row to close the season. She ranked fourth in the GNAC in aces per set (0.49), ninth in kills per set (2.80) and seventh in digs per set (3.73). Upping her production as the season progressed, Oestreich had a season-high 17 kills on Nov. 16 against Northwest Nazarene and a season-high 27 digs on Nov. 14 against Central Washington. After three years in a Viking uniform, Oestreich has accumulated 548 kills (2.60 per set) and 723 digs (3.43 per set). She played a key role in helping WWU (12-12, 11-7) finish fourth in the GNAC standings.
 
Landing a pair of players on the all-conference first team, Seattle Pacific (10-16, 10-8) was represented by senior middle blocker Hannah Hair and senior setter Emily Tulino. Hair, the 2023 GNAC Player of the Year and GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, earned first-team recognition for the fourth time to join Dexter and the previous four GNAC players with that distinction. Currently the NCAA Division II national leader in blocks per set (1.53) and second nationally with 158 total blocks, Hair put forth another historic season for the Falcons. She finished her career with a GNAC-record 629 career blocks, and her average of 1.39 blocks per set was second in GNAC history. In addition to leading all GNAC players defensively in blocks, Hair ranked third in the conference with an attack percentage of .337 and finished her career with 948 kills.
 
Tulino picked up her third all-GNAC award, after being honorable mention in 2021 and 2023. A senior from Carlsbad, Calif., Tulino ranked second in the GNAC this season with 8.09 assists per set – far and away the top season average of her career. Tulino racked up 2,419 assists in her four seasons with the Falcons – the most of any active GNAC player – while adding 858 digs and 111 service aces across her 102 matches played. Tulino’s banner season featured a career-high 61 assists – the most by a GNAC player this fall – on Nov. 2 against Alaska Fairbanks.
 
Landing on the first team from Alaska Anchorage (16-12, 10-8) was senior outside hitter Katie Birtcil. The New Mexico State transfer made an immediate impact for the Seawolves, ranking second on the squad in both kills per set (2.34) and digs per set (3.04). Birtcil was a mainstay in the UAA lineup, reaching a season high of 15 kills on two occasions and racking up a season-best 23 digs on Nov. 9 against Northwest Nazarene. She had seven double-doubles this fall, and after accumulating 855 kills at NMSU finished her collegiate career with 1,083 total.
 
Western Oregon (15-12, 7-11) was represented on the first team by senior Madison Hornback, who picked up her second straight first-team honor. The senior from Oregon City, Ore., was fourth in the GNAC with 3.23 kills per set, and added 2.47 digs per set for the Wolves. One of the top attacking threats in the league, Hornback reached a season-high 22 kills on Sept. 26 against Alaska Fairbanks and achieved 13 double-doubles this season. Hornback finished her stellar WOU career with 992 kills and 838 digs, while playing in 94 matches since the start of 2021.
 
Also garnering first-team all-conference was senior outside hitter Maren Machado of Northwest Nazarene (9-17, 6-12). Another one of the conference’s versatile talents, Machado was seventh in the GNAC in kills per set (2.87), 10th in the GNAC in digs per set (3.32) and sixth in the GNAC in aces per set (0.40). Fourteen double-doubles contributed to her first-career all-conference recognition, and she had season highs of 23 kills on Sept. 21 against Western Oregon and 23 digs on two occasions.