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Nov. 14, 2011

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University junior outside hitter Marlayna Geary (Tacoma/Bellarmine) was a first-team selection and senior middle blocker Emily Jepsen (Kennewick/Kamiakin) and junior setter Laurie Yearout (Spokane/Lewis & Clark) earned second-team recognition on the 2011 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball all-star squad announced today.

Receiving honorable mention was Vikings' redshirt freshman libero Samantha Hutchinson (University Place/Curtis).

Geary, who was a second-team pick last season after being a first-team choice in 2009, led the GNAC in both kills with 339, averaging 4.24 per set, and points with 369. This fall, she was twice a GNAC Player of the Week pick and had 13 double-doubles in kills and doubles.

Jepsen ranked among the GNAC top 10 leaders in four categories. She was third in attack percentage (.309), fourth in blocks (81, 1.01), eighth in points (315, 3.94) and 10th in kills (3.20, 256).

Jepsen, who was the GNAC Player of the Year in 2010, finished her four-year career 10th in blocks with 320 and 14th in kills with 899.

Yearout led the conference in assists with an 11.24 average (899) and Hutchinson was second in digs with a 5.78 average (462).

WWU finished 16-6 overall and tied for second in the GNAC standings at 14-4.

Alaska Anchorage outside hitter Jackie Matthisen was the GNAC Player of the Year and teammate Kimya Jafroudi was the Newcomer of the Year. Sharing Freshman of the Year honors were Montana State Billings' Monica Grimsrud and Saint Martin's Kristyn Ross, and Seattle Pacific's Chris Johnson was Coach of the Year.

GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE Contact: Bob Guptill (509-535-5291/Fax 535-5293/e-mail - bguptill@gnacsports.com)

Volleyball: UAA's Matthisen Selected GNAC Player-of-the-Year

Outside hitter Jackie Matthisen of Alaska Anchorage has been voted the 2011 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Player-of-the-Year.

Matthisen, who was one of four unanimous selections on the first team all-conference team, ranked second in the GNAC this fall in both kills (4.17) and points (4.53) in leading the Seawolves to an 18-8 record and a second-place finish.

Also earning special awards were UAA setter Kimya Jafroudi, Montana State Billings outside hitter Monica Grimsrud and Saint Martin's outside hitter Kristyn Ross.

Jafroudi, who ranked fifth in the GNAC in assists averaging 10.13 per set, was selected the GNAC Newcomer-of-the-Year, while Ross and Grimsrud, who finished fourth (3.91) and seventh (3.67), respectively, in the conference in kills, shared the GNAC Freshman-of-the-Year award.

Chris Johnson of Seattle Pacific was selected as the GNAC Coach-of-the-Year. Johnson, a 2002 grad of Westmont, has a 133-59 record in seven seasons at SPU, leading the Falcons to conference titles in 2005, 2006, 2010 and this fall. Each time he was selected the Coach-of-the-Year.

Seattle Pacific led the all-star selections placing three players on the first team. Alaska Anchorage placed two players on the first team, while Western Washington and Western Oregon each had one.

Four players - Matthisen, outside hitters Lindsey Wodrich of Seattle Pacific and Danielle Reese of Western Oregon and middle blocker Robyn Burton of Alaska Anchorage were unanimous selections.

Wodrich was the lone repeat first team selection from last year though both Matthisen and outside hitter Marlayna Geary of Western Washington were also repeaters after winning first team honors in 2009. Completing the first team were libero Anna Herold and setter Shelby Swanson, both from Seattle Pacific.

2011 GNAC ALL-CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL TEAM

GNAC Player-of-the-Year - Jackie Matthisen, UAA (5-11, Sr., Anchorage, AK). GNAC Newcomer-of-the-Year - Kimya Jafroudi, UAA (S, 5-7, Jr., Huntington Beach, CA). GNAC Freshman-of-the-Year - Monica Grimsrud, MSUB (OH, 6-1, Fr., Montana City. MT) and Kristyn Ross, SMU (OH, 5-10, Fr., Olympia, WA). GNAC Coach-of-the-Year - Chris Johnson, Seattle Pacific.

FIRST TEAM: Outside Hitters - +*Jackie Matthisen, UAA (5-11, Sr., Anchorage, AK); +*Lindsey Wodrich, SPU (5-9, Sr., Richland, WA); *Marlayna Geary, WWU (5-9, Jr., Tacoma, WA); +Danielle Reese, WOU (5-9, Jr., Gig Harbor, WA). Middle Blocker - +Robyn Burton, UAA (5-11, So., Eagle River, AK). Libero - Anna Herold, SPU (5-8, Sr., Bothell, WA). Setter - Shelby Swanson, SPU (5-9, Jr., Kennewick, WA). *Repeater (Geary and Matthisen from 2009). +Unanimous

SECOND TEAM: Outside Hitters - Jordan Offutt, CWU (5-11, Jr., Leavenworth, WA); Monica Grimsrud, MSUB (6-1, Fr., Montana City, MT). Middle Blocker - Emily Jepsen, WWU (MB, 5-11, Sr., Kennewick, WA); Krissi Kemper, WOU (5-10, So., Prineville, OR); Haley Abbott, NNU (6-0, Sr., Kenmore, WA). Setter - Laurie Yearout, WWU (5-9, Jr., Spokane, WA); Kimya Jafroudi, UAA (5-7, Jr., Huntington Beach, CA).

HONORABLE MENTION: Outside Hitters - Kristyn Ross, SMU (5-10, Fr., Olympia, WA).; Paige Hoffman, SPU (6-2, Sr., Encinitas, CA); Ariel Austin, UAA (5-11, Jr., Woodland Park, CO); Meg Ryan, CWU (5-10, Sr., Spokane, WA). Middle Blockers - Nikki Lowell, SPU (5-10, So., Claremont, CA); Erin Smith, CWU (MB, 5-11, So., Selah, WA); Becky Blees, WOU (MB, 5-10, So., Portland, OR). Setters - Kaitlyn Tuholski, NNU (5-10, Fr., Vancouver, WA); Carlee Marble, CWU (5-8, Sr., La Conner, WA); Brooke Tolman, MSUB (5-8, Sr., Honeyville, UT). Libero - Kailey Trautmann, NNU (L, 5-10, Sr., Snohomish, WA); Samantha Hutchinson, WWU (L, 5-9, Fr., University Place, WA).