Two volleyball players named to all-conference team
August 28, 2019
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its 2019 volleyball preseason all-conference team, which featured Nanooks junior outside hitter Lahra Weber and junior setter Cate Whiting.
Weber and Whiting become the second and third Alaska players, respectively, to earn a conference preseason honor under fifth-year head coach Brian Scott. Following the conclusion of the 2018 season, both Weber and Whiting were all-GNAC first team selections.
Weber finished the 2018 season appearing in 99 sets through 27 matches, leading the Nanooks in kills, averaging 3.61 per set with 357 total. Weber's kills per set average ranked her fourth within the conference. The Berlin, Germany, native also averaged a team-best 4.12 points per set (fifth in the GNAC) with 407.5 points total. Weber tallied 11 double-doubles this season, while also chipping in 23 aces, 23 assists, 273 digs (2.76 per set average) and 46 blocks (nine solo, 37 assisted).
Weber's best night of the season came on Aug. 31 against Dominican University, registering a season-best 24 kills against the Penguins.
Whiting also posted a standout sophomore season for the Nanooks last year, appearing in 99 sets through 27 matches. Whiting ranked fifth in the GNAC with a 9.97 assists per set average, totaling 987 for the Nanooks. Whiting also picked up 228 digs (2.30 digs per set average), 51 blocks (three solo, 48 assisted), 25 aces and 93 kills (0.94 kills per set average).
Whiting tallied seven double-doubles throughout the 2018 campaign, with a single-game high of 21 digs on Nov. 8 at Northwest Nazarene. The Rapid City, South Dakota, native tallied four matches with 50-or-more assists, boasting a career-high 56 against Montana State Billings on Oct. 11.
Throughout the season, Whiting earned multiple accolades including being named to the UAA all-tournament team (Aug. 25), the GNAC offensive player of the week (Oct. 8) and the AVCA DII volleyball player of the week (Oct. 9).
Last week, both Whiting and Weber were named to the GNAC volleyball all-academic team, with Whiting having the highest overall grade point average of any of the 63 selections, boasting a 3.97 in civil engineering.
The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team will continue exhibition play this weekend, as they take on the UAF volleyball alumni at the Alaska Airlines Court on Saturday, Aug. 31. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team, follow @NanooksVB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Volleyball team page on Facebook.