PORTLAND, Ore. - The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its 2025 Volleyball All-Conference Teams on Tuesday, Nov. 25, and the Alaska Nanooks were well represented with four student-athletes earning honors. Junior libero Tessa Onaga and senior outside hitter Mikala Henderson were selected to the GNAC First Team, while senior right-side Elena Guc and junior setter Cynphany Henderson earned Honorable Mention accolades. Onaga headlined the group by being named the 2025 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Tessa Onaga – Junior Libero
First Team All-GNAC - GNAC Defensive Player of the Year
Onaga anchored the Nanooks' back row all season, leading the GNAC in total digs with 479 and finishing third in the conference with 4.52 digs per set across 106 sets. She posted 10 or more digs in 24 matches—including 12 straight—and tallied 11 performances with 20 or more digs.
The junior also added 129 assists (1.22/set), 38 service aces (fifth in GNAC), and recorded a pair of double-doubles with 11 assists in each. Her 479 digs rank as the third-most in a single season in program history. Onaga earned back-to-back GNAC Defensive Player of the Week honors (Sept. 15 & 22) and is a one-time Academic All-GNAC selection.
Mikala Henderson – Senior Outside Hitter
First Team All-GNAC (Unanimous)
Henderson delivered a standout senior campaign, totaling 207 kills (2.84/set) and 177 digs (2.42/set) in 73 sets played. She recorded 12 double-digit kill performances—including eight straight—and added seven double-doubles and 10 matches with 10 or more digs.
A consistent offensive threat, Henderson posted double-digit points in 14 of her 21 matches and produced two 20-point outings, highlighted by a pair of 20+ kill performances. She ranked in the GNAC's top 15 in hitting percentage, kills per set, and points per set. Henderson was named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 20.
Elena Guc – Senior Right-Side
Honorable Mention All-GNAC (Second Career Selection)
Guc capped her Nanooks career with 305 kills (2.88/set), 101 blocks (0.95/set), 88 digs, and 363.0 total points (3.42/set) across all 106 sets this season. She finished eighth in the GNAC in total points, ninth in total kills, and eighth in total blocks, including sixth in block assists. Her 101 blocks rank 16th in program history, and she now sits 12th all-time in career blocks for Alaska.
The senior posted 17 double-digit kill matches and added a double-double with 11 digs earlier this season. She recorded 10 blocks on Nov. 22 at Montana State Billings, tying for the fourth-most in program history. Guc earned two GNAC Player of the Week awards (Offensive – Sept. 2; Defensive – Nov. 24) and is a three-time Academic All-GNAC honoree with a perfect 4.00 GPA each year.
Cynphany Henderson – Junior Setter
Honorable Mention All-GNAC
Henderson showcased her versatility throughout the season, filling the stat sheet with 146 kills (1.62/set), 495 assists (5.50/set), 286 digs (3.18/set), and 41 blocks. She recorded 14 double-doubles and the GNAC's only triple-double of the season, while also logging a 20-assist, 20-dig performance.
The junior tallied 21 matches with 10+ assists—three with 30 or more—and posted double-digit digs 14 times, including three 20+ dig outings. Henderson earned GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Nov. 10 and is a two-time Academic All-GNAC selection.
The conference also announced its other major individual award recipients for the 2025 season:
- Player of the Year: Devyn Oestreich (Western Washington University)
- Setter of the Year: Eva Person (Simon Fraser University)
- Freshman of the Year: Kailey Willsey (Central Washington University)
- Coach of the Year: Stacie Meisner (University of Alaska Anchorage)
The Nanooks' season continues next week at the 2025 NCAA DII West Regional Championships in San Diego, Calif. Alaska, the five-seed, opens up against the four-seed, and in-state rival, Alaska Anchorage, on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. AKST.
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