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http://www.theno rthernlight.o rg/2013/11/12/gnac-cro wn-within-reach-fo r-vo lleyball-team/

GNAC crown within reach for volleyball team

Tho mas McIntyre

An automatic birth to the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships is at stake f or the Seawolf volleyball team, whos sitting atop the GNAC standings. But the lead and margin f or error is slim. Four other teams are hunting the Seawolves: Western Washington, Northwest Nazarene, Seattle Pacif ic and Central Washington. Any missteps could open the door f or one of them to claim the conf erence. Collectively, the Wolves are 4-2 against the squads that are still in the mix. However, theyre no longer the same team that ripped of f nine consecutive conf erence wins. Sophomore outside hitter Julia Mackey is now watching games f rom the sideline. When she suf f ered a knee injury in late October, UAA lost one of its biggest dif f erence makers. Going f orward without Mackey will f orce the team to get more creative. T here isnt a simple plug-and-play option f or replacing her massive presence on the court. T he Seawolves have shredded teams on of f ense this year. Within the GNAC, theyre f irst in service aces and second in hitting percentage, assists and kills. Holding these numbers up without Mackey is going to take contributions f rom the whole unit. In the f ew games since she was injured, junior outsider hitter Brooke Pottle and sophomore middle blocker Caitlin McInerney have shown they can help f ill the void on the outside. T he player most impacted by the new-look Wolves could be sophomore outside hitter Katelynn Z anders. Z anders is now the teams most f eared of f ensive player. Shes sixth in the GNAC in kills per set and second in total kills. Like Kevin Durant without Russell Westbrook, her role just ballooned. On the other side of the ball, two middle blockers have been stuf f ing action at the net. Senior Jodi Huddleston and f reshman Erin Braun have 106 and 72 blocks, respectively. Huddleston is one of only three GNAC players to have reached the century mark in swats. Two other dynamos have been senior setter Siobhan Johansen and junior libero Quinn Barker. Johansen is serving up dimes with 603 total assists on the season. Barker is creating endless opportunities with her 405 digs. T he next weekend of action is crucial f or the Wolves because theyll host Western Washington. T he Vikings are in prime position to steal that automatic bid. One week af ter that, Seattle Pacif ic will welcome UAA and make their own attempt at climbing the ladder. Both opponents were victims during the Green and Golds nine-game winning streak. But again, the Seawolves arent that team anymore. With a chance at postseason play on the table, theyll have to spike a big one on the river. The bout against Western Washington begins 7 p.m. Thursday at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.