Western Washington senior Devyn Oestreich, a two-time first-team all-league pin hitter, was selected as the 2025 preseason player of the year. (Photo: Imogene Eagan)
Western Washington senior Devyn Oestreich, a two-time first-team all-league pin hitter, was selected as the 2025 preseason player of the year. (Photo: Imogene Eagan)

WWU’s Oestreich headlines VB preseason all-conference team

8/20/2025 9:51:05 AM

By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – Fifth-year senior Devyn Oestreich of Western Washington got the nod as the 2025 Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball preseason player of the year, as the league’s preseason all-conference team was unveiled on Wednesday.
 
Oestreich, a 6-foot pin hitter from Olympia, Wash., was a first-team all-conference selection last fall after putting together the top statistical campaign for the Vikings. Oestreich was among 14 total players selected to the preseason all-conference team. The GNAC preseason coaches poll was released on Tuesday, and the 2025 season kicks off on Aug. 28 in Anchorage, Alaska.
 
A new wave of stars is featured in the preseason all-conference team, as all five of the players who earned All-American honors during the 2024 season completed their careers.
 
GNAC Volleyball 2025 Preseason All-Conference Team
Preseason Player of the Year: Devyn Oestreich, Western Washington
Name School Position Height Year Hometown (Previous School)
Elena Guc Alaska RS 6-0 SR East China, Mich. (Cardinal Mooney)
Ainsley Smith Alaska S 5-10 SR North Pole, Alaska (North Pole)
Tia Allen Alaska Anchorage OH 5-11 SR Clayton, Wash. (Saint Martin’s)
Scottie Ellsworth Central Washington OH 6-2 SR Kent, Wash. (Kentwood)
Ellie Marble Central Washington OH 6-0 JR La Conner, Wash. (La Conner)
Abby Black Northwest Nazarene OH 5-11 JR Wenatchee, Wash. (Wenatchee)
Emily Garten Saint Martin’s OH 5-10 JR Placentia, Calif. (El Dorado)
Davida Hill Simon Fraser OH 6-0 SR Surrey, B.C. (Pacific Academy)
Eva Person Simon Fraser S 5-10 SR Brentwood Bay, B.C. (Stelly’s)
Macyn Unger Simon Fraser L 5-9 JR Prince George, B.C. (Duchess Park)
Maela Honma Western Oregon OH 5-9 SO Hilo, Hawaii (Kamehameha Schools)
Devyn Oestreich Western Washington OH 6-0 SR Olympia, Wash. (Capital)
Delaney Speer Western Washington OH 5-11 JR Maple Valley, Wash. (Tahoma)
Emily Vossenkuhl Western Washington MB 6-1 JR Ridgefield, Wash. (Ridgefield)

 
9152Devyn Oestreich – Western Washington - #106347
Pin Hitter – 6-0 – Senior
Olympia, Wash. – Capital High School
Previous Honors: First-Team All-GNAC (2024) | First-Team All-GNAC (2023)
 
Oestreich has gone from redshirting as a freshman in the fall of 2021 to being viewed by the coaches as the league’s top talent, as she earned preseason all-conference recognition for the third consecutive season. Equally as effective on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, Oestreich ranked ninth in the GNAC last year with 2.80 kills per set and was seventh in the league with 3.73 digs per set. Among the 13 double-doubles that she tallied in 2024, six of them came across her final six matches of the year hinting that she is ready to hit the ground running in her final year with the Vikings. Oestreich’s season high of 17 kills came in a five-set win over Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 16, two nights after she recorded a season-high 27 digs in a five-set defeat at the hands of 2024 GNAC champion Central Washington. Overall in three seasons on the floor, Oestreich has played in 63 matches while averaging 2.60 kills per set, 3.43 digs per set, 0.47 blocks per set and totaling 80 service aces.
 
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9156Delaney Speer – Western Washington - #1
Pin Hitter – 5-11 – Junior
Maple Valley, Wash. – Tahoma High School
Previous Honors: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2024)
 
Speer played her way to honorable mention all-conference recognition in 2024 as she prepares for her third season on the court for the Vikings. She played in all 24 matches for WWU in 2024, averaging 3.26 digs per set and 2.52 kills per set. Her 3.01 points per set ranked her second on the team behind Oestreich. She was also among GNAC statistical leaders, ranking 11th in the league in digs per set and 13th in kills per set. A strong all-around player like her teammate Oestreich, Speer totaled seven double-doubles on the season. Her top performance came on Nov. 16 in WWU’s win over NNU, as she reached season highs of 18 kills and 22 digs while chipping in five total blocks. In two seasons Speer has totaled 417 kills and 538 digs, while adding 51 service aces and averaging 2.82 points per set.
 
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9158Emily Vossenkuhl – Western Washington - #2
Middle Blocker – 6-1 – Junior
Ridgefield, Wash. – Ridgefield High School
Previous Honors: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2024) | Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2023)
 
Like Speer, Vossenkuhl is in her fourth season in the Vikings’ program and third year competing on the floor as she looks to build off two straight honorable mention all-conference accolades. A towering presence at the net, Vossenkuhl ranked 10th in the conference in blocks per set last fall with 1.01. She was a model of consistency for WWU, being the only player on the team to start all 24 matches and she played in 86 of 87 sets. In addition to her defensive contributions, Vossenkuhl added 1.78 kills per set on a .257 attack percentage. Her top statistical performance came on Sept. 21 against Alaska Anchorage, when she recorded 18 points on a dozen kills and six total blocks in the five-set win. Vossenkuhl has racked up 197 total blocks for an average of 1.10 per set and holds a career .259 attack percentage across her first two seasons at WWU.
 
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9163Elena Guc – Alaska - #16377
Right Side – 6-0 – Senior
East China, Mich. – Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School
Previous Honors: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2024)
 
Guc was a major contributor on a Nanooks team that tied the school record for victories, as Alaska went 21-7 overall in 2024 and tied for second in the GNAC standings. Guc averaged 2.35 kills per set on a .243 attack percentage, while playing in all 28 matches in her top statistical season to date. Her 0.81 digs per set and 0.76 blocks per set were each also career bests, as she put together a breakout campaign in her third season at Alaska. Guc reached double figures in kills on a dozen occasions in 2024, including a season-best 16 in a three-set sweep of Colorado Christian on Sept. 6. Overall in three seasons in Fairbanks Guc has totaled 467 kills on a .225 attack percentage and has averaged 2.31 points per set.
 
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9155Ainsley Smith – Alaska - #17
Setter – 5-10 – Senior
North Pole, Alaska – North Pole High School
Previous Honors: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2024)
 
Smith is the most veteran player in the GNAC, beginning her career during the COVID-impacted 2020 season and playing her way into a crucial fixture in the Nanook lineup over the last five years. Steadily progressing into an honorable mention all-conference performer last season, the setter’s assists per set numbers have increased in each of her three full seasons on the floor. In 2024, she ranked third in the conference with 7.90 assists per set, reaching double figures in all 28 matches, including 23 matches with 20 or more assists and 16 with 30 or more. Smith twice topped 50 assists in a match, including a season-high 56 in the Nanooks’ five-set win at Western Washington on Sept. 19. She also completed 14 double-doubles, including reaching double digits in digs in nine of her final 10 matches on the year. Smith has totaled 2,069 assists for an average of 6.45 per set in her career and has reached the century mark in sets played in each of her three healthy seasons on the floor.
 
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9159Tia Allen – Alaska Anchorage - #26376
Outside Hitter – 5-11 – Senior
Clayton, Wash. – Mt. Spokane High School/Saint Martin’s University
Previous Honors: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2024) | Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2022)
 
The Seawolves will be led by another of the league’s savvy veterans, as Allen gears up for her fifth collegiate season – fourth on the court. A two-time honorable mention all-conference performer, the outside hitter has shown the ability to put up big numbers on both the attack and defense throughout her career. Allen reached double figures in kills 10 times last fall, averaging 2.35 kills per set and totaling eight double-doubles. Defensively she averaged 2.98 digs per set for a total of 2.83 points per set. Allen’s top performance in league play in 2024 came in a five-set win over NNU on Nov. 9, as she completed a 13-kill, 19-dig double-double with the latter figure matching her season high. Including her two-year totals at Saint Martin’s (2021-22), Allen enters her senior campaign with 852 kills and 750 digs in her collegiate career.
 
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9154Scottie Ellsworth – Central Washington - #36416
Outside Hitter – 6-2 – Senior
Kent, Wash. – Kentwood High School
Previous Honors: First-Team All-GNAC (2023)
 
The reigning GNAC champions and preseason favorite Wildcats will rely on Ellsworth to step into a pivotal attacking role this season, after graduating three first-team all-conference players in 2024. The fifth-year senior had a breakout campaign in 2023, earning first-team all-conference recognition after leading the squad with 2.72 kills per set in her redshirt sophomore season. Ellsworth added 2.03 kills per set last fall, while playing in all 25 matches and 91 sets in her third full year with the Wildcats. She reached double digits in kills in five matches in 2024, including a season-best 15 in CWU’s five-set win at Western Washington on Nov. 14. Ellsworth enters her final collegiate campaign with 448 total kills and is coming off a career-best 0.79 blocks per set last fall.
 
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9161Ellie Marble – Central Washington - #6
Outside Hitter – 6-0 – Junior
La Conner, Wash. – La Conner High School
Previous Honors: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2024)
 
Marble upped the production in all facets of her game as a sophomore in 2024, playing her way to honorable mention all-conference recognition. Her 2.75 kills per set ranked her 10th in the conference, and she added 2.53 digs per set with both figures being improvements upon her 2023 freshman-year numbers. Marble reached double figures in kills 12 times and had six double-doubles, including season highs of 19 kills on Sept. 6 against San Francisco State and 20 digs on Nov. 2 against Northwest Nazarene. Marble makes the turn into the second half of her collegiate career with 396 kills, 362 digs and an average of 3.09 points per set.
 
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9160Abby Black – Northwest Nazarene - #76535
Outside Hitter – 5-11 – Junior
Wenatchee, Wash. – Wenatchee High School
Previous Honors: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2024)
 
Black was a force for the Nighthawks in her second season on the floor, ranking eighth in the GNAC with 2.85 kills per set in 2024. Black consistently delivered big performances, reaching double digits in kills on 13 occasions throughout the season. Her biggest effort of the year came amid a stretch of five consecutive double-digit matches to close the campaign. In a five-set battle at Western Washington on Nov. 16, Black matched her season best with 23 kills on a .260 attack percentage. Her other 20-kill effort was also a total of 23, in a five-set win over GNAC runner-up Alaska on Oct. 12. In her two seasons in a Nighthawk uniform, Black has totaled 374 kills for an average of 2.62 per set.
 
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7200Emily Garten – Saint Martin’s - #159151
Outside Hitter – 5-10 – Junior
Placentia, Calif. – El Dorado High School
Previous Honors: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2023)
 
Gearing up for her third season with the Saints, Garten has elevated her name among the league’s top players. She led the conference with 0.54 aces per set in 2024, including nine aces on Sept. 6 against Bemidji State to tie the second-highest single-match total in conference history. Garten averaged 2.51 kills per set while playing in all 26 matches for the Saints and reached a season-high of 19 kills in two different matches. Also chipping in 2.27 digs per set on the season, Garten completed six double-doubles. After two complete collegiate seasons, Garten has totaled 590 kills for an average of 2.95 per set and has added 313 digs.
 
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9164Davida Hill – Simon Fraser - #226577
Outside Hitter – 6-0 – Senior
Surrey, B.C. – Pacific Academy
Previous Honors: First-Team All-GNAC (2024)
 
Bursting onto the scene last fall, Hill turned heads on her way to a unanimous first-team all-conference junior season. The Surrey, B.C., native ranked fifth in the GNAC with 3.01 kills per set while swinging at a clip of .250 on the season. After totaling just 99 kills in her first three years at SFU, Hill racked up 280 in 2024 alone. She also averaged 2.30 digs per set, finishing with seven double-doubles on the season. Among her top matches were a season-high 22 kills against Point Loma on Sept. 6 and 11 kills on 16 attempts with zero errors (.688) on Halloween against Saint Martin’s. With the departure of 2024 GNAC Player of the Year Brooke Dexter from the SFU lineup, look for Hill to be a go-to option once again in her final season with the Red Leafs.
 
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9153Eva Person – Simon Fraser - #1
Setter – 5-10 – Senior
Brentwood Bay, B.C. – Stelly’s
Previous Honors: GNAC Setter of the Year (2024) | First-Team All-GNAC (2024)
 
Person was voted the conference’s top setter in 2024, after leading the league with 8.76 assists per set to help the Red Leafs to a runner-up finish and their third NCAA West Region Championships appearance. Facilitating the offense masterfully, Person reached double figures in assists in all 26 of SFU’s matches, topping the 30-assist plateau 16 times during her junior season. Also averaging 2.72 digs per set, Person had 15 double-doubles and reached her season high of 17 digs on three occasions. Her top matches included a season-high 49 assists in a four-set win over NNU on Nov. 14 and 48 assists in a four-set win over Seattle Pacific on Oct. 12. In three seasons, Person has accumulated 2,192 career assists for an average of 7.77 assists per set and has chipped in 662 digs for an average of 2.35 digs per set.
 
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9157Macyn Unger – Simon Fraser - #11
Libero – 5-9 – Junior
Prince George, B.C. – Duchess Park
Previous Honors: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2024)
 
The top returning libero in the conference, Unger ranked third in the GNAC in 2024 with 4.49 digs per set. In her second season with the Red Leafs, Unger played in all 26 matches and was a key fixture in helping the team reach the postseason. She reached double figures in digs in all but four matches, putting up a season-best 27 on Sept. 6 against Point Loma. Unger also had multiple assists in all but one match, including a season-high nine in a four-set win over Western Oregon on Nov. 2. Unger has already accumulated 806 digs for an average of 4.38 per set across two collegiate seasons, as she is projected to once again be among the league’s top defensive players.
 
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9184Maela Honma – Western Oregon - #56384
Outside Hitter – 5-9 – Sophomore
Hilo, Hawaii – Kamehameha Schools
 
It didn’t take long for Honma to establish herself on the collegiate stage last fall, as she played in all 27 of Western Oregon’s matches during her true freshman campaign. Honma put up 2.51 kills per set (276 total) to go along with 2.68 digs per set (295 total) in her debut. She recorded the first of her 11 double-doubles in her first collegiate match on Sept. 5 against Cal Poly Humboldt. Honma had a season-high 18 kills in the penultimate match of 2024 against Northwest Nazarene and reached her season best of 20 digs on Nov. 2 against Simon Fraser. Honma also tallied multiple service aces in more than half of WOU’s matches, averaging 0.45 aces per set overall on the season. Honma is the lone underclassman on the preseason all-conference list.
 
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