PORTLAND, Ore. – Volleyball standouts from Simon Fraser and Western Washington were rewarded with the latest Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards after helping their respective teams to 2-0 starts in conference play.
VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Megan Hawkins – Simon Fraser University
First-career player of the week.
Hawkins led all GNAC players last week with 5.64 points per set and 5.00 kills per set, helping the Red Leafs win their first two GNAC matches of the season. In Thursday’s match against Central Washington, Hawkins posted a season-high 22 kills while adding nine digs, two blocks and a service ace to help her team emerge triumphant. Hawkins followed that with a 13-kill performance in Saturday’s sweep of Northwest Nazarene, adding in two service aces, nine more digs and another block. The preseason all-conference selection has reached double digits in kills in three of her last four matches and ranks second in the GNAC this fall with 0.61 aces per set.
SFU Head Coach Gina Schmidt: “Megan found her offensive groove this weekend and was an integral part of our team’s success. She possesses a diverse attacking toolbox and she displayed that throughout both matches. She consistently found ways to score in key moments for us.”
Also Nominated: Hannah Trotter, Alaska Anchorage; Cori Leavitt, Alaska; Ellie Marble, Central Washington; Allie Dorman, Montana State Billings; Amaya Evans, Seattle Pacific; Kate Markley, Western Oregon; Delaney Speer, Western Washington.
VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Finnley Claeys – Western Washington University
First-career player of the week.
Claeys was instrumental in helping the Vikings defeat both Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington to start their conference season 2-0. Against the Nighthawks on Thursday, she delivered 23 digs – her second 20-dig performance of the season and one off her season-best of 24. She followed that with 15 digs in WWU’s sweep of Central Washington Saturday, adding three assists and three service aces on the weekend. Claeys is averaging 3.57 digs per set this season, ranking her seventh in the conference.
WWU Head Coach Diane Flick-Williams: “Finnley was great this weekend and while her stats show that, it’s all the non-stat things that she does that contributed to the team’s success. She never misses a day to get better and is so steady a doing her job. This is so well deserved and I’m really proud of her.”
Also Nominated: Mary Nahinu, Alaska Anchorage; Presley Engelauf, Alaska; Hayli Tri, Central Washington; Emma Fairbairn, Montana State Billings; Peyton Ensign, Seattle Pacific; Macyn Unger, Simon Fraser; Kate Klobas, Western Oregon.
WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kiera Scott – Simon Fraser University
Third-career player of the week, first this season.
Scott led all GNAC players in last week’s matches with five points, scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist. All three of her contributions came in the Red Leafs’ 3-3 draw at Concordia Irvine on Saturday, as she did the heavy lifting to help her side salvage a result. Scott staked her team to a 1-0 advantage just 11 minutes into the match, before doubling her tally five minutes before halftime. She then slotted an assist to
Dariella Lopez in the 61st minute for SFU’s third goal of the match. A returning first-team all-conference striker, Scott is off to a strong start in 2026 leading all GNAC players with three goals and eight total points. The senior also cracked the top-30 in GNAC history as she upped her career goals count to 24 dating back to the 2023 campaign.
SFU Head Coach Carlo Basso: “Kiera has been excellent for us to start the season. She showed her quality last week and consistently created chances through her decision making and execution. I am excited for both her and the group as we step into the GNAC schedule.”
Also Nominated: Mary-Jo Landon, Central Washington; Kelsie Cox, Montana State Billings; Triya Mitchell, Western Washington.
WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ava Gibbs – Montana State University Billings
First-career player of the week.
Gibbs was a key contributor on both sides of the ball in helping the Yellowjackets earn a result on the road last week. She put together a 90-minute effort on the back line in a 1-1 draw against Black Hills State, and pushed forward to score a crucial, equalizing goal. With MSUB down 1-0, Gibbs netted her first goal as a Yellowjacket in the 55th minute. The transfer from Lower Columbia College has earned three starts thus far in 2026, with Friday’s match being her first toal-90 effort of the campaign.
MSUB Head Coach Abiye Jack: “Ava had a strong presence both in and out of possession. She gave the team 90 minutes of tough defending and stepped up to deliver a big goal in a game where we struggled to get an attacking rhythm. She has had a great start and I’m excited to see her growth throughout the season.”
Also Nominated: Leighton Menge, Central Washington; Alyssa Clark, Simon Fraser; Chloe Van Wey, Western Washington.
MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Grant Deuel – Saint Martin’s University
First-career player of the week.
Deuel led all GNAC players with five points in last week’s matches, delivering important contributions in each contest to help SMU come away with a win and a draw. In Thursday’s 4-2 triumph over Chaminade, Deuel scored his first two collegiate goals including the game-winner. Striking twice within a span of 10 minutes, Deuel put SMU ahead 2-1 four minutes before halftime before completing his brace in the 51st minute. In Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Cal Poly Humboldt, Deuel came through with his first-career assist on an opening goal in the 17th minute by Corbin Herrera. After seeing action in just five matches as a freshman in 2025, Deuel paid off massive dividends after being selected for his first two collegiate starts.
SMU Head Coach Rob Walker: “We are so pleased with Grant’s overall play. He’s done a great job leading the line for us and finding himself in dangerous positions. His work has been complemented by the efforts of his teammates and Grant has taken advantage of his opportunities, which is what the game is always about. Grant plays with a fire and desire which we need to take advantage of as we move from our last non-conference games this week to the start of GNAC play next week.”
Also Nominated: Cooper Schneider, Seattle Pacific; Koji Poon, Simon Fraser; Archie Dhima, Western Oregon; Landon Schulze, Western Washington.
MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Harrison Gough – Simon Fraser University
First-career player of the week.
Simon Fraser’s 1-1 draw against UC Colorado Springs on Saturday had everything to do with Gough’s top performance of the season in goal. The freshman made nine saves – a season high – while facing 18 total shots including 10 on target. The commanding effort helped SFU to its third consecutive result. He has played every minute of the season between the posts, holding a goals-against average of 1.25 and a save percentage of .722 through the first four matches of his career.
SFU Head Coach Kevin Harmse: “Harrison was a standout for us, delivering a mature and composed performance against a very strong opponent. He made several big saves, particularly in the second half, that kept us in the game at crucial moments. He was a key player for us on the day and gave us every chance to come away with a result.”
Also Nominated: Willem Ficek, Seattle Pacific; Sean Aouin, Western Oregon; Quinn Sappington, Western Washington.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Matthew Resnik – Western Oregon University
Second-career runner of the week, first this season.
Resnik raced to a win on his home course Friday, clocking a 6k time of 17:43.9 minutes at the Ash Creek Collegiate in Monmouth. He topped a field of 94 competitors in a field that included GNAC competition (Simon Fraser) and NCAA Division I competition (Portland State). It was the first-career race win for Resnik, who was the runner up at the same meet last fall. The junior is coming off an all-region performance (21st place) in 2025 and projects as one of the GNAC’s top runners in 2026.
WOU Head Coach Zach Holloway: “Rez ran a really composed, strong race on Friday. He worked well with his teammates and really cranked it down the last kilometer. He has steadily improved each cross country season while at WOU and he is certainly ready for his best season yet.”
Also Nominated: Sam Griffin, Alaska Anchorage; Nick Iverson, Alaska; Weston Breen, Central Washington; Logan Milek, Montana State Billings; Avery Erickson, Seattle Pacific; Maverik Rahkola, Simon Fraser.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Raiya Matonovich – Simon Fraser University
First-career runner of the week.
Matonovich bested a field of 93 competitors to win the women’s 5k race at the Ash Creek Collegiate on Friday. The sophomore clocked in at 17:43.9 minutes, cruising to a 10-second win ahead of runner-up Kyla Potratz from Western Oregon. After a standout freshman season that saw Matonovich earn NCAA track & field All-American honors, she kicked off her 2026 campaign with her first collegiate cross country victory. Matonovich finished 22nd at last year’s GNAC Cross Country Championships in her debut season.
SFU Head Coach Brit Townsend: “I am very excited for the start of the season for Raiya. Coming off her race at the U20 World Championships in Eugene last month, she is determined to follow up with her strongest cross country season. She ran the race from the front the entire way, showing confidence and composure. The rest of the team responded with a good start to the season.”
Also Nominated: Natalie Allen, Alaska Anchorage; Iris Haas, Alaska; Maddy Harrison, Central Washington; Ally Coey, Montana State Billings; Esther Paulson, Seattle Pacific; Kyla Potratz, Western Oregon.