PORTLAND, Ore. – Well-balanced offensive and defensive performances by a pair of middle blockers who each led their respective teams to a pair of volleyball wins last week highlighted the newest edition of Great Northwest Athletic Conference Players of the Week rolled out on Monday.
VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nina Kovacevic – Simon Fraser University
First-career player of the week.
Kovacevic was a force at the net on both sides of the ball last week, helping keep Simon Fraser tied atop the GNAC standings with a pair of victories. She needed just 26 swings to tally 18 kills across her six sets played last week, as she swung at .577 overall and averaged 3.0 kills per set. In the Red Leafs’ sweep of Western Oregon on Thursday, Kovacevic delivered nine kills while matching her season high defensively with eight total blocks. She followed that with her most efficient offensive performance of the year, with nine kills and zero errors on 12 swings (.750) in a sweep of Saint Martin’s on Saturday. Kovacevic leads the GNAC in hitting percentage at .455 this fall, which currently sits as the second-highest single-season mark in GNAC history.
SFU Head Coach Gina Schmidt: “Nina had a great weekend making herself available and connecting really well with both of our setters. It is unfortunate that Nina was forced to miss the early part of our season due to injury, but as time has gone on and she has returned to full health we are continuing to see the significant impact that she can have for our team at the net.”
Also Nominated: Haylee Lyons, Alaska; Ellie Marble, Central Washington; Allie Dorman, Montana State Billings; Morgan Wilding, Northwest Nazarene; Megan Omlid, Seattle Pacific; Devyn Oestreich, Western Washington.
VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Emily Vossenkuhl – Western Washington University
Second-career player of the week, second this season.
Much like Kovacevic, Vossenkuhl was a dual threat in a pair of victories for the Vikings last week at home. WWU avenged its loss to Saint Martin’s earlier in the season with a sweep of the Saints Thursday, thanks in large part to six total blocks from Vossenkuhl to go along with seven kills. On Saturday in a three-set win over Western Oregon, she came through with four more blocks while adding 11 kills on 14 attempts (.714). Overall in the two-game set, Vossenkuhl averaged 1.67 blocks per set to pace the Viking defense. She added 3.0 kills per set and hit .371 overall on the week. Vossenkuhl ranks fifth in the conference this season with 1.16 blocks per set.
WWU Head Coach Diane Flick-Williams: “Voss has a great nose for the ball and makes big moves to either be a part of a double block or in her solo attempts. The amount of ground she can cover is impressive, and our defenders really appreciate the space she takes out.”
Also Nominated: Cynphany Henderson, Alaska; Ella Bines, Central Washington; Kenzie Allen, Montana State Billings; Kayci Spray, Northwest Nazarene; Hanna Ligons, Saint Martin’s; Christina Lopez, Seattle Pacific; Nina Kovacevic, Simon Fraser.
WOMEN’S GOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lauren F. Lee – Western Washington University
Fourth-career player of the week, second this season.
Lee closed out her 2025 fall season by tying for first place at the Cal State East Bay Fall Invitational last week in Hayward, Calif. Lee shot a three-round score of 3-under-par 213 (74-69-70) on the par-72, 5,830-yard course, matching East Bay’s Carlota Eroles atop a field of 82 players. After posting a 2-over-par 74 her first time through the course, Lee turned it up a notch with a 3-under-par 69 including five birdies in her second round last Monday. She closed the event with a 2-under-par 70 in her final round Tuesday, including an eagle on the par-5, 437-yard 16th hole. Lee lowered her season scoring average to 72.7 strokes per round – 1.3 strokes per round higher than the next-closest GNAC player. She also lowered her career scoring average to 75.39 strokes per round, which is the second-lowest in conference history.
Also Nominated: Cadence Ko, Simon Fraser.
MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Yahir Ocampo Navarro – Western Oregon University
Second-career player of the week, first this season.
Ocampo Navarro helped the Wolves extend their unbeaten streak to six matches, contributing heavily in each of the squad’s wins last week. In the Wolves’ 2-0 blanking of Seattle Pacific last Thursday, Ocampo Navarro had the assist on
Michael Divano’s game-winning goal in the 13th minute of action. On Saturday in a 2-1 win over Northwest Nazarene, he scored the game-winning goal in the 39th minute. That came after he had another assist on Divano’s opening goal in the 17th minute. In total, Ocampo Navarro directly impacted three of the four goals scored by the Wolves in their wins. The junior upped his season count to five goals and four assists, ranking him fifth in the conference with 14 total points and 0.88 points per match. Overall in his three seasons at WOU, Ocampo Navarro has 16 goals and 15 assists for 47 points while playing in 53 matches.
WOU Head Coach Michael Behonick: “What a lot of people don’t realize with him is that he spent six months injured – he was out from last January to this preseason. In the early part of the year he was trying to get back and get comfortable to game speed and his fitness level. He shows up to work every day and does the right things. He’s a winner – he wants to win everything he does on and off the field. Yahir gives 100% of everything he has every game, and he is an important piece for us.”
Also Nominated: Derek Johnson, Northwest Nazarene; Jonathan Wright, Saint Martin’s; Cristian Chel Lara, Seattle Pacific; Koji Poon, Simon Fraser.
MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ausin Valdez – Western Oregon University
First-career player of the week.
Just as his midfielder teammate was on the offensive end of things, Valdez was hugely impactful in each of the Wolves’ wins last week. Facing a season-high 18 shots against the first-place Falcons on Thursday, Valdez made all three saves required of him in order to keep his fourth clean sheet of the campaign. He followed that by matching his season high with six saves while facing 14 shots, helping WOU’s 2-1 result stand on the road against Northwest Nazarene. In his first season in a WOU uniform, Valdez holds a goals-against average of 0.57 and a save percentage of .867.
WOU Head Coach Michael Behonick: “Austin has done a great job. He is a fantastic kid who shows up to training every day with the right attitude. He has gone in and made the saves he needs to make, commanded the box, organized the defense and helped the guys in front of him be where they need to be. He has done a good job doing all the things needed to help the team win.”
Also Nominated: Jackson Goode, Seattle Pacific; Jordan Thorsen, Simon Fraser.
WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Claire Potter – Western Washington University
Third-career player of the week, second this season.
Potter was the offensive cog in a pair of wins last week that helped secure at least a share of the 2025 regular-season title for the Vikings. In Thursday’s 2-0 blanking of Seattle Pacific, Potter staked her second brace of the season as she found the net in the seventh and 18th minutes. After scoring her third game-winning goal of the year, she provided the assist on
Morgan Manalili’s game-winner in Saturday’s 2-1 triumph over Montana State Billings. With the score tied midway through the second half, Potter slotted a drop pass onto the foot of Manalili who finished the final goal of the match. Potter now ranks fourth in the conference with seven goals and fifth in the conference with four assists this season. The senior upped her career count to 16 goals and 10 assists, for 42 points across her 84 matches played since the fall of 2022.
Also Nominated: Casey Park, Central Washington; Kambryn Smith, Montana State Billings; Savanna Herz, Northwest Nazarene; Kayla Wallace, Seattle Pacific; Kaiden Sherwood, Simon Fraser.
WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jada Foster – Western Oregon University
First-career player of the week.
Foster’s work ethic leading the WOU back line helped her team secure its place in the GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships with four points on the road last week. In a 2-1 win at Northwest Nazarene last Thursday, foster played the full 90 minutes and provided the assist on
Kaia Borje-Peeples’s opening goal in the 77th minute of the match. She followed that by helping WOU earn its eighth clean sheet of the season, with another 90-minute effort in a scoreless draw against Central Washington on Saturday. The senior has played the full 90 minutes in 12 of 16 matches this season, and her assist Thursday was the second of her career. The 2024 first-team all-GNAC defender has suited up in 46 matches in her three seasons on the field at WOU.
WOU Head Coach Kacey Bingham: “Jada had another solid performance for us last week, helping us stay sharp defensively but also helping us create scoring opportunities. Jada continues to set our defensive tone and standard. She has the ability to make big plays whenever she is around the ball. She is an amazing teammate, leader and captain.”
Also Nominated: Danika Galbraith, Central Washington; Natalie Weinmaster, Montana State Billings; Grace Fisher, Northwest Nazarene; Landry Schoennauer, Seattle Pacific; Ellie McGowan, Western Washington.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Libby Stump – Western Washington University
First-career player of the week.
After missing the first half of the 2024-25 campaign with an injury, Stump got her second season in a Viking uniform off to a strong offensive start in the team’s season-opening tournament in Langley, B.C. In a 2-1 weekend for WWU, Stump led all GNAC players with 20.3 points per game and 3.3 steals per game, while ranking second among all GNAC players with 3.3 assists per game. Her all-around strong weekend was highlighted by a career-high 33 points in WWU’s 69-64 triumph over Minot State on Saturday, as she knocked down 14 of 29 shots while grabbing four rebounds and adding a pair of steals. In the season opener on Halloween, she poured in 22 points while adding six steals, five assists and four boards in a narrow 65-62 defeat against No. 21 Colorado Mesa.
WWU Head Coach Carmen Dolfo: “Libby had just a great weekend. She was injured last year, so she saw very limited minutes. This year she’s a lot healthier and is able to play more of her game. The great thing about Libby is not only can she score, but she really excels at both ends of the floor. She is also a great leader for us.”
Also Nominated: Rachel Loukes, Simon Fraser.
MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jordan Clark – Central Washington University
First-career player of the week.
Clark helped lead the Wildcats to a 2-1 start to their season, with two wins over teams that received votes in the NABC preseason top-25 poll. Against Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday, Clark made 9 of 15 field goals on his way to 24 points, while adding three rebounds in 30 minutes played. He followed that with 21 points in a 75-65 win over Central Oklahoma on Saturday, this time connecting on 3 of 7 shots from the arc. Overall in the three-game sample Clark’s 15.7 points per game were most among all GNAC players. A junior in his third season at CWU, Clark has accumulated 626 points (9.6 ppg) and 156 assists (2.4 apg) in his 65 games played and 58 starts.
CWU Head Coach Brandon Rinta: “Jordan came up with some big plays this weekend to help us beat two quality teams. He did a good job of controlling the tempo and keeping our team organized offensively.”
Also Nominated: Akok Machar, Alaska Anchorage; Aidan Rice, Western Washington.