NW Briefs | WWU leads GNAC picks for volleyball
Western Washington libero Courtney Schneider, who ranks among the all-time dig leaders in NCAA Division II history, has been selected the Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball Player of the Year.
Vikings coach Diane Flick, who guided Western to a 21-4 record and its fourth GNAC title in seven years, was selected the GNAC Coach of the Year for the fifth time.
Schneider, from Snohomish, finished the regular season with a school and GNAC record 678 digs, breaking her previous record of 666.
She ranks sixth in NCAA Division II history with 2,522 digs and her 6.95 per game average is on pace to destroy the national record of 6.06.
Flick, a 1993 UW graduate, edged Western Oregon coach Joe Houck 5-4 in balloting for Coach of the Year.
Setters Jamie Mellies of Seattle University and Joelle Perez of Seattle Pacific tied for freshman of the year.
Schneider and Seattle Pacific outside hitter Alyssa Given headed up the seven-woman GNAC first team. Both players were unanimous selections.
Northwest Nazarene middle blocker Cammy Dranginis was also a repeat first-team selection. Joining Schneider, Given and Dranginis on the first team were Western Oregon’s Kayla Mainer, Central Washington middle blocker Rachael Schurman, Western Washington middle blocker Tiana Roma of Edmonds-Woodway High and Vikings setter Katie Robinson of Nooksack Valley.
Football
Whitworth dominated the All-Northwest Conference team with running back Adam Anderson selected as offensive player of the year and Jay Tully sharing defensive player of the year with Pacific Lutheran’s Andrew Eisentrout. Whitworth’s John Tully is the coach of the year. Other Whitworth players on the first team are RB Chris Ahsing; WR Steve Silva; TE Drew Griggs; DL Brandon Martin; DL Justin Rundle; LB Casey Clifton; LB Greg Caster, LB Marc Grow; DB Phillip Entel and DB Ryan Marshall. In addition to Eisentrout, PLU WR Craig Chiado, slot Chase Reed; DL Robert Thomsen and PR Matt Wolford were first - team picks; Puget Sound OL Steve Palmer of Bothell was also first team.
Notes
• The Puget Sound volleyball team faces Wisconsin-Whitewater at 11 a.m. (Pacific) Thursday in the Division III tournament at Illinois Wesleyan. The UPS women’s soccer team plays Wartburg College of Waverly, Iowa, on Friday at 5:30 p.m. (PST) in Wheaton, Ill.
• Northwest freshman outside hitter Lauren Holtz was named Cascade Conference volleyball freshman of the year.
• Eastern Washington defensive end Jason Belford (Lincoln High of Tacoma) is Big Sky Conference defensive player of the week and sophomore quarterback Matt Nichols took the honor on offense.
Compiled from sports-information reports.