PHOTOS: WWU Athletics
WWU's Hall & Lee Earn Weekly GNAC Honors
October 29, 2018
MICHAELA HALL NAMED GNAC VOLLEYBALL
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University senior middle Michaela Hall has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, for matches played during the week of October 22-28.
Hall becomes the eighth WWU selection for GNAC Player of the Week this season, with Abby Phelps and Kayleigh Harper winning three awards each, and Brette Boesel one award. The eight GNAC Player of the Week selections (Offense – 6, Defense – 2) are the second-most in single-season program history, trailing only the 9 selections from last season.
Hall (Centralia, WA) helped lead the Vikings to a pair of 3-0 sweeps last week, defeating Simon Fraser at home on Tuesday (25-15, 25-12, 25-23) and Montana State Billings on the road on Thursday (25-12, 25-12, 25-22).
In the two matches Hall led the Vikings averaging 4.33 kills per set while recording a .500 attack percentage (26 kills, 3 errors, 46 attacks). She also averaged 1.17 blocks per set to reach the 400-block milestone for her career.
“Michaela has been a steady force for us this year, and she really stepped up in a very tough part of our schedule,” said WWU head coach Diane Flick-Williams. “I am so proud of her and deserves all the recognition for not just what she did this week, but what she has been for us all season.”
This is the second GNAC Player of the Week award for Hall in her career, winning the defensive award for Nov. 13-19, 2017.
In 118 career matches, Hall has averaged 2.11 kills and 0.97 blocks per set, while recording a .292 hitting percentage. In the WWU record book she is listed 9th in total blocks (403), 10th in hitting percentage, 19th in total kills (872) and 22nd in points (1101.0). In the GNAC all-time record book she is 9th in total blocks and 14th in hitting percentage.
The Vikings (21-3 overall, 16-0 GNAC) have clinched at least a share of the 2018 GNAC title with four matches remaining in the regular season and are the No. 1 team in the NCAA II West Region rankings that were released last week. WWU carries a 21-match winning streak into home contests this week vs. Western Oregon (Thursday) and Concordia (Saturday), with both matches starting at 7 pm on WECU Court in Carver Gym.
LEE NAMED GNAC MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University junior defender Jeremiah Lee has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for games played Oct. 22-28.
Lee (Marysville, WA/Grace Academy) led a dominating defensive performance by the Vikings that resulted in a 2-0 week, with wins over Northwest Nazarene (3-0) and Seattle Pacific (5-1). Lee played in 173 out of 180 minutes in the two games, limiting opponents to just one goal and four total shots on goal.
Lee is one of three players that have combined for four GNAC Men’s Soccer Player of the Week selections this season, joiningGeorg Cholewa (Offense – Sept. 3-9) and Brandon Wolter (Defense – Oct. 1-7). Lee also earned the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week honor for games of Sept. 10-16.
The four GNAC Player of the Week selections tie the most in program history in a single season, matching the 2003, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2016 seasons. Lee becomes the eighth player in program history to win multiple conference player of the week awards in a career, and the fourth player to earn multiple weekly awards during a single season joining Brady Ulen (2016), Gibson Bardsley (2010) and Samir Vejo (2008).
The Vikings complete the 2018 regular season this week with a pair of GNAC games, hosting No. 1 nationally-ranked Simon Fraser on Thursday night at 7 pm for Senior Night at Harrington Field, and then travel to Portland to face Concordia at 7 pm on Saturday. WWU has won its last three games to rise to 2nd place in the conference standings with a 5-4-1 league record (16 points), and is 9-6-1 overall while going 5-2-1 over the last 8 games.
