PORTLAND, Ore. – A big offensive week from Seattle Pacific outside hitter
Megan Omlid helped lift her team up the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, as she earned the latest GNAC Player of the Week honor.
VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Megan Omlid – Seattle Pacific University
First-career player of the week.
Omlid led all GNAC players in kills per set and points per set last week, propelling Seattle Pacific to a pair of impressive conference victories. The Falcons became the first GNAC team this season to defeat No. 18 Simon Fraser, thanks in large part to Omlid’s attacking presence at the net. The sophomore outside hitter fired down 16 kills in the three-set sweep of the Red Leafs, before following with 17 kills in a three-set sweep of Western Washington on Saturday. In the match against the Vikings, Omlid recorded her fourth double-double of the year adding 13 digs to her stat line. Overall on the week Omlid averaged 5.50 kills per set and 6.17 points per set – each figure leading all GNAC players by more than 1.00. The preseason all-conference selection has reached double digits in kills in all but four matches this fall, and ranks seventh in the GNAC with 3.04 kills per set.
SPU Head Coach Jason Rhine: “We had two really fun team wins last week and Megan contributed to both of those in multiple ways. She put up big kill numbers on a high hitting percentage, but also contributed with aces and service pressure, and great defense from the back row. It is really cool to see Megan recognized for her performance because she has battled some adversity this season, and she has continued to work hard on the court to grow as an athlete and as a leader. Instead of solely focusing on improving her own performance, her recent goal was to be even louder and more encouraging on the court so that the team would know how much she enjoys celebrating them. It’s Megan’s effort and positivity that our team benefits from even more than the stats she is capable of producing.”
Also Nominated: Haylee Lyons, Alaska; Ellie Marble, Central Washington; Allie Dorman, Montana State Billings; Emily Garten, Saint Martin’s; Brooklyn Robinson, Simon Fraser; Kate Markley, Western Oregon.
VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bella Burney – University of Alaska Anchorage
First-career player of the week.
Burney combined a stellar presence at the net with efficiency to help lead Alaska Anchorage to a pair of road victories last week. The senior middle blocker put up an average of 1.17 blocks per set, including four total against Western Oregon and three against Saint Martin’s to help the Seawolves sweep both matches. Burney was also stellar on the attack, committing just two errors while reaching double digits in kills in both matches. Her .488 attack percentage was the highest by any GNAC player who competed in two contests last week.
UAA Head Coach Morgan Hooe: “Bella came up with big blocks when the team needed them most, slowing down opposing middles and allowing us to focus more on defending the pins. Bella’s ability to make key defensive plays helped shift momentum in our favor and contributed to the success of the entire team.”
Also Nominated: Cynphany Henderson, Alaska; Brooklyn Parker, Central Washington; Avarey Stuff, Montana State Billings; Christina Lopez, Seattle Pacific; Macyn Unger, Simon Fraser; Cali-Jo Shigemasa, Western Oregon.
MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kundalini Dominique – Simon Fraser University
First-career player of the week.
Dominique was all over the stat sheet in a pair of wins for the Red Leafs last week, totaling five goals and a pair of assists. After making an important contribution with a finish in SFU’s 4-2 GNAC win over Western Washington, Dominique erupted for four goals and two assists in the team’s 9-0 blowout of Jamestown. His 10 total points in the match were tied for second-most by a GNAC player since the conference was founded in 2001. It was the most points by a GNAC player in a match since SFU’s Michael Hennessy scored five goals for 10 points on Oct. 19, 2023 against Saint Martin’s. In his third year with the Red Leafs, Dominique upped his career count to 11 goals and three assists in 47 matches played.
SFU Head Coach Kevin Harmse: “Kunda had an outstanding week with 12 points across two important wins. His ability to create chances and make an impact in key moments was exceptional. Beyond the numbers, his work rate and unsung contributions were top.”
Also Nominated: Lucas Witthauer, Seattle Pacific.
MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Allan Huerta – Northwest Nazarene University
First-career player of the week.
Huerta helped anchor an NNU back line that conceded just one goal in a pair of conference matches last week. In the Nighthawks’ 3-1 win over Saint Martin’s Thursday, Huerta played the full 90 minutes while contributing his first goal of the season to help secure the victory. He followed that with another 90-minute effort to help his team to a scoreless draw against Western Oregon and finish off a four-point week. The sophomore has started all 13 matches in 2026 and has played the full 90 minutes on nine occasions. The goal was the first of his collegiate career.
NNU Head Coach Julio Castillo: “Allan is one of our best defenders. He wins everything in the air, he gets into tackles and usually comes out with the ball. He was great again last week and he has only gotten better each week. He definitely gets the team motivated and he has been leading by example. Even though he was dealing with fatigue, he was able to manage playing 90 minutes and really performed to a top level.”
Also Nominated: Willem Ficek, Seattle Pacific; Lachlan Macgowan, Simon Fraser.
WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Marisa Badillo – Central Washington University
First-career player of the week.
Badillo led all GNAC players in last week’s matches with two goals scored, helping Central Washington secure four important points in the GNAC standings. After playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-2 draw against Simon Fraser on Thursday, Badillo did the heavy lifting with a brace in her team’s 3-1 win over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. The sophomore got the scoring started in just the fifth minute, before following with what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 14th minute. It was the first-career brace for Badillo, who upped her season count to three goals after scoring the first of her career on Sept. 24 against Western Oregon.
CWU Head Coach John Hawks: “Marisa has been lights out for us as a true facilitator of play. We stressed the importance of winning the run of play early. With the support of her teammates, Marisa was the catalyst in making that a reality for us on Saturday. Getting a brace within the first 15 minutes of the game is a testament to her performance. Marisa is a microcosm of what this team is doing collectively and our future is bright.”
Also Nominated: Kamryn Ellis, Saint Martin’s; Ashlyn Valdovinos, Seattle Pacific; Sam Bouchard, Simon Fraser.
WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mie Cairns – Western Washington University
First-career player of the week.
Cairns helped the Western Washington defensive unit engineer two more shutouts, including a 2-0 blanking of one of the top-scoring teams in Division II in Simon Fraser. In a battle of the top-two teams in the conference, Cairns provided a goal in the 64th minute to make the score 2-0 and give her team some breathing room on its way to victory. That came after a narrow, 1-0 triumph against Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, in which Cairns delivered her fourth assist of the season on the game’s only goal scored by Emily Holdridge. A fixture in the WWU lineup since debuting as a freshman in 2023, Cairns has played in 78 matches for the two-time defending GNAC champions. Her first goal of the season upped her career count to eight goals and she also has eight-career assists during her tenure in Bellingham.
WWU Head Coach Travis Connell: “Mie covered a lot of ground in our games last weekend. She was involved in so many critical defensive stops while also being involved in goals in both games. She had a huge impact on our results.”
Also Nominated: Danika Galbraith, Central Washington; Tenley Leffler, Montana State Billings; Kate Bond, Saint Martin’s; Celia Ramos, Seattle Pacific.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Jared Alderfer – Western Washington University
First-career runner of the week.
Alderfer helped Western Washington win the highly-touted Lewis Crossover last week in Illinois, as the Vikings topped a field containing 28 NCAA Division II opponents. Alderfer was the top GNAC performer at the meet, taking fourth place among 275 runners. The Viking senior clocked an 8k time of 24:21.9 minutes with an important contribution towards his team’s winning score. A reigning all-conference and all-region performer, Alderfer finished ninth at the 2025 GNAC Championships, 13th at the 2025 NCAA West Region Championships and 55th at last year’s NCAA Championships.
Also Nominated: Benjamin Peck, Alaska Anchorage; Nick Iverson, Alaska; Logan Milek, Montana State Billings; Ian Stockett, Northwest Nazarene; Avery Erickson, Seattle Pacific; Peter Kunka, Simon Fraser; Matthew Resnik, Western Oregon.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Ella Edens – Western Washington University
Second-career runner of the week, second this season.
Edens nabbed her second runner of the week honor of the fall with a headline performance at the Lewis Crossover. The senior took third place among a field of 247 Division II runners, clocking a 6k time of 21:39.3 minutes. The best finish by a GNAC runner at the event helped the Viking women place fifth among a field of 26 teams competing in the national preview meet. Edens’ second honor this fall came after she won the Bill Roe Classic on Sept. 26 in Bellingham.
Also Nominated: Makendra McCarty, Alaska Anchorage; Tabitha Williams, Alaska; Madeline Harrison, Central Washington; Micah Strong, Montana State Billings; Cameron Moore, Northwest Nazarene; Anna Prussian, Seattle Pacific; Raiya Matonovich, Simon Fraser.