GRAND CANYON’S DUGAN EARNS WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORSGrand Canyon senior outside hitter Shannon Dugan has been named Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 20-26. This is her first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Gardnerville, Nev., native averaged a WAC-best 4.78 kills to go along with 3.11 digs and 0.56 blocks per set as the Antelopes went 2-0 last week, including a win over reigning WAC champion New Mexico State. Dugan opened the week with 21 kills on .304 hitting, 12 digs and three blocks in a four-set win over Texas-Pan American. She followed it up with 22 kills, 16 digs, two assists and two blocks in a five-set win over the Aggies. With the pair of double-doubles last week, Dugan now has a WAC-best 12 on the season.
Other nominees included: Luiza Martins of Bakersfield averaged 10.57 assists, 3.14 digs, 0.71 kills and 0.43 blocks per set as the Roadrunners went 1-1 on the week ... Missouri-Kansas City’s Jessica Hendin averaged 3.33 kills on .451 hitting to go along with 2.67 digs and 0.50 blocks per set as the Kangaroos went 2-0 on the week and extended their win streak to 16 matches ... Sasha-Lee Thomas of New Mexico State averaged 2.08 kills on .380 hitting to go along with 1.17 blocks per set as the Aggies went 1-2 on the week ... Seattle U’s Martina Samadan finished with 15 kills, on .500 hitting, nine blocks and five service aces in a win over Utah Valley ... Haley Durham of Texas-Pan American averaged 2.29 kills and 1.29 blocks per set last week.
MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY SETS SEVERAL PROGRAM RECORDSMissouri-Kansas City currently sits atop the WAC standings with a 20-3 overall record and an 8-0 WAC mark. The 20 wins is tied for the most in program history, while the 8-0 WAC start is the best conference start in school history. The Kangaroos are also on an 16-match winning streak, the longest win streak in school history, and on Oct. 13 defeated Missouri for just the fourth time in school history and the first time since 1994.
UVU’S BAKKER LOOKS TO BECOME ALL-TIME PROGRAM SOLO BLOCKS LEADERUtah Valley junior middle blocker Lauren Bakker sits just four solo blocks back from becoming UVU’s all-time leader in that category. Bakker currently has 43 career solo blocks, just three shy of Jessica Endres’ (2004-07) record of 46.
BAKERSFIELD’S SAWYER, O’HAGAN BOTH SURPASS 1,000 CAREER POINTSBakersfield junior outside hitter Kelsee Sawyer surpassed 1,000 career points on Oct. 18 at Utah Valley. Her teammate senior middle blocker Molly O’Hagan reached the 1,000-point plateau against Chicago State on Oct. 2. O’Hagan now has 1,080 career points, while Sawyer has 1,012.
KLIEFOTH, DURHAM AMONG UTPA’S ALL-TIME BEST BLOCKERSTexas-Pan American senior Maria Kliefoth and junior Haley Durham are among the best blockers in program history. Kliefoth ranks sixth in both block assists (211) and total blocks (247), and ninth in blocks per set (0.66). Durham is first in blocks per set (0.84), and seventh in both block assists (193) and total blocks (240).
UVU’S ATOA PICKS UP 200TH DIVISION I VICTORYUtah Valley head coach Sam Atoa recorded his 200th Division I victory on Oct. 4 in a win over Texas-Pan American. Atoa is now 202-142 (.587) in 12 seasons at the Division I level and 340-173 (.663) overall in his career in 16 years at Utah Valley.
SAMADAN POSTS SEATTLE U’S FIFTH-BEST HITTING PERCENTAGEIn a five-set win over Montana on Sept. 18, junior middle blocker Martina Samadan hit .645 in the match. It was the fifth-highest individual single-match hitting percentage in program history.
CHICAGO STATE SNAPS 64-MATCH HOME LOSING SKIDWhen it defeated IU Northwest on Sept. 12, Chicago State snapped a 64-match home losing skid that dated back to Oct. 13, 2007, when it defeated Air Force in five sets. The Cougars have already tripled their win total from the 2013 season.
WAC STAT LEADERSAs a team, Missouri-Kansas City leads the WAC in hitting percentage (.230), assists (12.73), kills (13.70) and digs (17.62). Meanwhile, New Mexico State leads the WAC in opponent hitting percentage (.150), Seattle U is tops in blocks (2.71), while Chicago State leads the league in service aces (1.52).
Individually, Bakersfield’s Danika Youngblood leads the WAC in kills (3.70) and points (4.08), while teammate Luiza Martins is tops in assists (11.16). Seattle U’s Martina Samadan leads the league in hitting percentage (.356) and blocks (1.34), while Utah Valley’s McKenna Tait leads the conference in service aces (0.46) and Missouri-Kansas City’s Taryn Miller is tops in digs (5.62).
In WAC matches only, Missouri-Kansas City leads the WAC in hitting percentage (.263), opponent hitting percentage (.126), assists (12.74), kills (13.65) and digs (16.55). Meanwhile, Seattle U is tops in blocks (3.06) and service aces (1.61).
Individually in conference matches only, Youngblood leads the WAC in kills (4.18) and points (4.63), while Missouri-Kansas City’s Emma Hagedorn leads the league in hitting percentage (.424). Martins is tops in assists (11.26), while Texas-Pan American’s Alisha Watson leads the conference in service aces (0.52). Samadan is tops in blocks (1.48), while Mackenzie Phelps of Grand Canyon leads the league in digs (5.78).
NEW MEXICO STATE FAVORED IN WAC PRESEASON POLLThe WAC coaches selected New Mexico State as the team to beat in 2014. The Aggies received six first-place votes, while Seattle U received the other two. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
The Aggies earned 48 total points, followed by Seattle U with 43. Utah Valley was picked to finish third with 35 points, followed by Missouri-Kansas City in fourth with 27 points, just ahead of Bakersfield in fifth with 26 and Grand Canyon in sixth with 22 points. Texas-Pan American and Chicago State rounded out the poll with 16 and seven points, respectively.
PRESEASON ALL-WACUtah Valley junior middle blocker Lauren Bakker, who last year ranked second in the league in blocks per set (1.31) and ninth in hitting percentage (.272), was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
New Mexico State and Utah Valley placed the most players on the preseason All-WAC team with three apiece, while Seattle U, UMKC and Grand Canyon had two each. Joining Bakker on the preseason team are teammates Kalani Norris and McKenna Tait, New Mexico State’s Taylor Livoti, Gwen Murphy and Bradley Nash, Seattle U’s Iris Ivanis and Martina Samadan, UMKC’s Sydney Crimmins and Emma Hagedorn, Grand Canyon’s Shannon Dugan and Mackenzie Phelps, Bakersfield’s Molly O’Hagan, and Haley Durham of UTPA.
2014 WAC TOURNAMENTThe 2014 WAC Volleyball Tournament will be held Nov. 20-22 at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif., and will include the top six eligible teams in the regular-season standings.
WAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 20 (First Round)
Match 1 - No. 6 seed vs. No. 3 seed, 5 p.m.
Match 2 - No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 21 (Semifinals)
Match 3 - Winner Match 1 vs. No. 2 seed, 5 p.m.
Match 4 - Winner Match 2 vs. No. 1 seed, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22 (Championship)
Match 5 - Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 5 p.m.
WAC TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE NOWTickets for the 2014 WAC Volleyball Tournament, which will be held Nov. 20-22 at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif., are on sale now. All-session tickets, which are general admission seating and include admission to all five matches, are $25. Tickets can be purchased through both the Bakersfield website (
www.gorunners.com) and the Vallitix website (
www.vallitix.com).
Single-session tickets, which allow access to one day’s worth of matches, will be available for purchase on Monday, Nov. 17.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERSOf the seven first team All-WAC players in 2013, three return for the 2014 season, led by Preseason Player of the Year Lauren Bakker of Utah Valley. Also returning from the first team are Gwen Murphy of New Mexico State and McKenna Tait of Utah Valley.
Five of the seven second team honorees return, including Sydney Crimmins and Taryn Miller of UMKC, Iris Ivanis and Martina Samadan of Seattle U, and Bakersfield’s Molly O’Hagan.
Of the six All-Freshman Team honorees a year ago, five return – Ivanis and Kerry Lane of Seattle U, Kaylyn Brandt of UMKC, Alisha Watson of UTPA and Nakisha Willden of Utah Valley.
GRAND CANYON’S DUGAN EARNS WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Grand Canyon senior outside hitter Shannon Dugan has been named Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 20-26. This is her first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Gardnerville, Nev., native averaged a WAC-best 4.78 kills to go along with 3.11 digs and 0.56 blocks per set as the Antelopes went 2-0 last week, including a win over reigning WAC champion New Mexico State. Dugan opened the week with 21 kills on .304 hitting, 12 digs and three blocks in a four-set win over Texas-Pan American. She followed it up with 22 kills, 16 digs, two assists and two blocks in a five-set win over the Aggies. With the pair of double-doubles last week, Dugan now has a WAC-best 12 on the season.
Other nominees included: Luiza Martins of Bakersfield averaged 10.57 assists, 3.14 digs, 0.71 kills and 0.43 blocks per set as the Roadrunners went 1-1 on the week ... Missouri-Kansas City’s Jessica Hendin averaged 3.33 kills on .451 hitting to go along with 2.67 digs and 0.50 blocks per set as the Kangaroos went 2-0 on the week and extended their win streak to 16 matches ... Sasha-Lee Thomas of New Mexico State averaged 2.08 kills on .380 hitting to go along with 1.17 blocks per set as the Aggies went 1-2 on the week ... Seattle U’s Martina Samadan finished with 15 kills, on .500 hitting, nine blocks and five service aces in a win over Utah Valley ... Haley Durham of Texas-Pan American averaged 2.29 kills and 1.29 blocks per set last week.
MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY SETS SEVERAL PROGRAM RECORDS
Missouri-Kansas City currently sits atop the WAC standings with a 20-3 overall record and an 8-0 WAC mark. The 20 wins is tied for the most in program history, while the 8-0 WAC start is the best conference start in school history. The Kangaroos are also on an 16-match winning streak, the longest win streak in school history, and on Oct. 13 defeated Missouri for just the fourth time in school history and the first time since 1994.
UVU’S BAKKER LOOKS TO BECOME ALL-TIME PROGRAM SOLO BLOCKS LEADER
Utah Valley junior middle blocker Lauren Bakker sits just four solo blocks back from becoming UVU’s all-time leader in that category. Bakker currently has 43 career solo blocks, just three shy of Jessica Endres’ (2004-07) record of 46.
BAKERSFIELD’S SAWYER, O’HAGAN BOTH SURPASS 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Bakersfield junior outside hitter Kelsee Sawyer surpassed 1,000 career points on Oct. 18 at Utah Valley. Her teammate senior middle blocker Molly O’Hagan reached the 1,000-point plateau against Chicago State on Oct. 2. O’Hagan now has 1,080 career points, while Sawyer has 1,012.
KLIEFOTH, DURHAM AMONG UTPA’S ALL-TIME BEST BLOCKERS
Texas-Pan American senior Maria Kliefoth and junior Haley Durham are among the best blockers in program history. Kliefoth ranks sixth in both block assists (211) and total blocks (247), and ninth in blocks per set (0.66). Durham is first in blocks per set (0.84), and seventh in both block assists (193) and total blocks (240).
UVU’S ATOA PICKS UP 200TH DIVISION I VICTORY
Utah Valley head coach Sam Atoa recorded his 200th Division I victory on Oct. 4 in a win over Texas-Pan American. Atoa is now 202-142 (.587) in 12 seasons at the Division I level and 340-173 (.663) overall in his career in 16 years at Utah Valley.
SAMADAN POSTS SEATTLE U’S FIFTH-BEST HITTING PERCENTAGE
In a five-set win over Montana on Sept. 18, junior middle blocker Martina Samadan hit .645 in the match. It was the fifth-highest individual single-match hitting percentage in program history.
CHICAGO STATE SNAPS 64-MATCH HOME LOSING SKID
When it defeated IU Northwest on Sept. 12, Chicago State snapped a 64-match home losing skid that dated back to Oct. 13, 2007, when it defeated Air Force in five sets. The Cougars have already tripled their win total from the 2013 season.
WAC STAT LEADERS
As a team, Missouri-Kansas City leads the WAC in hitting percentage (.230), assists (12.73), kills (13.70) and digs (17.62). Meanwhile, New Mexico State leads the WAC in opponent hitting percentage (.150), Seattle U is tops in blocks (2.71), while Chicago State leads the league in service aces (1.52).
Individually, Bakersfield’s Danika Youngblood leads the WAC in kills (3.70) and points (4.08), while teammate Luiza Martins is tops in assists (11.16). Seattle U’s Martina Samadan leads the league in hitting percentage (.356) and blocks (1.34), while Utah Valley’s McKenna Tait leads the conference in service aces (0.46) and Missouri-Kansas City’s Taryn Miller is tops in digs (5.62).
In WAC matches only, Missouri-Kansas City leads the WAC in hitting percentage (.263), opponent hitting percentage (.126), assists (12.74), kills (13.65) and digs (16.55). Meanwhile, Seattle U is tops in blocks (3.06) and service aces (1.61).
Individually in conference matches only, Youngblood leads the WAC in kills (4.18) and points (4.63), while Missouri-Kansas City’s Emma Hagedorn leads the league in hitting percentage (.424). Martins is tops in assists (11.26), while Texas-Pan American’s Alisha Watson leads the conference in service aces (0.52).Samadan is tops in blocks (1.48), while Mackenzie Phelps of Grand Canyon leads the league in digs (5.78).
NEW MEXICO STATE FAVORED IN WAC PRESEASON POLL
The WAC coaches selected New Mexico State as the team to beat in 2014. The Aggies received six first-place votes, while Seattle U received the other two. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
The Aggies earned 48 total points, followed by Seattle U with 43. Utah Valley was picked to finish third with 35 points, followed by Missouri-Kansas City in fourth with 27 points, just ahead of Bakersfield in fifth with 26 and Grand Canyon in sixth with 22 points. Texas-Pan American and Chicago State rounded out the poll with 16 and seven points, respectively.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC
Utah Valley junior middle blocker Lauren Bakker, who last year ranked second in the league in blocks per set (1.31) and ninth in hitting percentage (.272), was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
New Mexico State and Utah Valley placed the most players on the preseason All-WAC team with three apiece, while Seattle U, UMKC and Grand Canyon had two each. Joining Bakker on the preseason team are teammates Kalani Norris and McKenna Tait, New Mexico State’s Taylor Livoti, Gwen Murphy and Bradley Nash, Seattle U’s Iris Ivanis and Martina Samadan, UMKC’s Sydney Crimmins and Emma Hagedorn, Grand Canyon’s Shannon Dugan and Mackenzie Phelps, Bakersfield’s Molly O’Hagan, and Haley Durham of UTPA.
2014 WAC TOURNAMENT
The 2014 WAC Volleyball Tournament will be held Nov. 20-22 at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif., and will include the top six eligible teams in the regular-season standings.
WAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 20 (First Round)
Match 1 - No. 6 seed vs. No. 3 seed, 5 p.m.
Match 2 - No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 21 (Semifinals)
Match 3 - Winner Match 1 vs. No. 2 seed, 5 p.m.
Match 4 - Winner Match 2 vs. No. 1 seed, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22 (Championship)
Match 5 - Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 5 p.m.
WAC TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Tickets for the 2014 WAC Volleyball Tournament, which will be held Nov. 20-22 at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif., are on sale now. All-session tickets, which are general admission seating and include admission to all five matches, are $25. Tickets can be purchased through both the Bakersfield website (www.gorunners.com) and the Vallitix website (www.vallitix.com).
Single-session tickets, which allow access to one day’s worth of matches, will be available for purchase on Monday, Nov. 17.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Of the seven first team All-WAC players in 2013, three return for the 2014 season, led by Preseason Player of the Year Lauren Bakker of Utah Valley. Also returning from the first team are Gwen Murphy of New Mexico State and McKenna Tait of Utah Valley.
Five of the seven second team honorees return, including Sydney Crimmins and Taryn Miller of UMKC, Iris Ivanis and Martina Samadan of Seattle U, and Bakersfield’s Molly O’Hagan.
Of the six All-Freshman Team honorees a year ago, five return – Ivanis and Kerry Lane of Seattle U, Kaylyn Brandt of UMKC, Alisha Watson of UTPA and Nakisha Willden of Utah Valley.