GNAC Online Version
 
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced their 2021 GNAC Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team on Tuesday, August 17. Two Alaska Nanooks volleyball players were named to the list. 
 
Cate Whiting, a senior setter from Rapid City, S.D., was the first Nanook on the preseason list. She is coming off of a 2020 spring-season that saw the Nanooks go 5-6 overall while she totaled 322 assists through the 11-game season. She averaged 7.5 assists/set while also grabbing 117 digs and 26 kills on the season. Whiting was also a 2019 Preseason All-Conference Selection as well as a 2019 First Team All-Conference Selection following a career-year in 2019 with 1028 assists, 102 kills and 313 digs. 
 
Reynolds, a senior right-side from Petersboro, Utah, first joined the Nanooks before the 2019 season from Eastern Arizona College. In her first year, she was named an Honorable Mention All-Conference Selection following a 2019 season with 266 kills, 82 total blocks, four solo and 35 digs. She also earned the 2019 GNAC Newcomer of the Year award. In the shortened 2020-season, Reynolds put up 102 kills through 42 sets and 11 matches. She also tallied 25 total blocks alongside five solo blocks. 
 
These two selections come a day after the Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team as the projected fourth place finisher for 2021 according to GNAC coaches. 
 
2021 GNAC Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll
 
Team (1^st Place Votes)                  2019 Record (GNAC)           Pts.

Western Washington (5)	27-3 (18-2, 1st)	95
Alaska Anchorage (5)	23-7 (17-3, 2nd)	92
Central Washington	18-11 (13-7, tie 3rd)	73
Alaska	15-13 (12-8, 5th)	66
Seattle Pacific	13-15 (10-10, 6th)	56
Simon Fraser	17-11 (13-7, tie 3rd)	54
Northwest Nazarene	13-14 (9-11, tie 7th)	47
Montana State Billings	8-22 (5-15, 9th)	35
Saint Martin's	1-28 (1-19, 11th)	21
Western Oregon	5-22 (3-17)	11

 
2021 GNAC Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team

Preseason Player of the Year: Eve Stephens, UAA
 
Name                                            School                   Pos.          Ht.      Yr.

Eve Stephens	Alaska Anchorage	Opp	6-1	Jr.
Calley Heilborn	Western Washington	OH	6-1	So.
Cate Whiting	Alaska	S	5-10	Sr.
Hannah Hair	Seattle Pacific	MB	6-1	So.
Ellen Floyd	Alaska Anchorage	S	5-10	Jr.
Gabby Gunterman	Western Washington	OH	5-10	So.
Brooke Foster	Northwest Nazarene	OH	6-1	Jr.
Ashley Kaufman	Central Washington	OH	5-8	So.
AveRee Reynolds	Alaska	RS	6-1	Sr.
Julia Tays	Simon Fraser	S	5-10	Sr.
Bayli Monck	Montana State Billings	Opp	5-10	Sr.
Maddie Batiste	Seattle Pacific	OH	6-0	Sr.
Malia Aleaga	Western Washington	S	5-7	So.
Tia Andaya	Central Washington	OH/S	5-9	So.

 
The Nanooks volleyball team is set to start their season on the road in Hawaii vs. Hawaii Pacific on Friday, August 27. They will face-off with both Chaminade and HPU while in Hawaii. 
 
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team, follow @NanooksVB on Twitter, @AlaskaNanooksVB on Instagram, or like the Alaska Nanooks Volleyball team page on Facebook.