BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University juniors Abby Phelps and Brette Boesel have been voted as first-team selections to the 2017 D2CCA All-West Region Volleyball Team.

The Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion Vikings led all West Region programs with the two first-team selections. WWU is 25-3 overall, ranked No. 5 in the AVCA NCAA II national poll and the No. 2 seed in the West Region heading into postseason play this week.

Phelps (Manson, WA/Chelan) added to her list of postseason awards, after being named the GNAC Player of the Year and First Team All-GNAC last week. The outside hitter heads into the NCAA Championships with a GNAC-best 22 double-doubles (kills/digs), including a current string of seven consecutive. Among West Region players, Phelps ranks 4th with 4.15 kills per set, 3rd with 4.78 points per set and 10th with 4.84 digs per set. She became the 4th player in WWU history and 14th in GNAC history to join the 1,000-kills, 1,000-dig club, currently with 1,092 kills and 1,328 digs.

Boesel leads the GNAC and West Region with 11.60 assists per set, leading an offense that ranks 18th in NCAA II with a .252 hitting percentage. The junior has also tallied 10 double-doubles (assists-digs) and has been a weapon on the service line with 24 aces.
Cal State San Bernardino outside hitter Lauren Nicholson was named the D2CCA West Region Player of the Year, averaging 4.33 kills per set with a .280 hitting percentage.

Twelve of this year’s All-West Region selections, including all seven first-team honorees, will be in action this weekend in the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament, which will be held from Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at California Baptist University in Riverside, Calif. The seven first-team honorees will have their names forwarded on for consideration for the D2CCA Volleyball All-America Team, which will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.

 

Information Courtesy of WWU Athletics