Aug. 9, 2007

FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Seventh-year head coach Phil Shoemaker's Alaska Nanooks volleyball team was picked to finish eighth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in the conference's annual pre-season coaches' poll released Thursday.

Alaska, who finished sixth out of nine teams a year ago (7-16, 6-10 GNAC) received 34 votes from the conference bench bosses: good for eighth place. The Nanooks were tabbed just ahead of arch-rival Alaska-Anchorage, who was slated ninth with 20 points, and just beneath Western Oregon, who was picked seventh with 41 points.

The Nanooks return nine letter winners and five starters from its 2006 squad, the most of any team in the conference besides Western Washington. Alaska also return two players that earned all-star accolades last season. Sophomore outside hitter Megan Thigpen (Spokane, WA/Mead HS), who ranked 10th in kills (3.05) and second in aces (0.56), earned first team all-star and GNAC Freshman of the Year honors, and middle hitter Korlyn Bolster (Guerneville, CA/El Molino HS) contributed 2.16 kills and 83 blocks in earning honorable mention honors.

Western Washington, returning all six starters from the 2006 season, earned the poll's top spot after garnering six first place votes and 101 total points. Last year's conference champion Seattle Pacific was placed second with 93 points (four first place votes) and Central Washington took third place with 73 points.

Conference newcomer Montana State Billings, who joins the GNAC after two previous seasons in the Heartland Conference, earned fourth place in the poll with 64 points, followed by Seattle (60 points) and Northwest Nazarene (59).

Saint Martin's, who won just one match during the 2006-07 season, filled the final slot of the ten-team poll, receiving 10 points.

The head coaches at each GNAC member institution voted for the poll and the points were awarded on 11-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. The full results of the GNAC Coaches' poll are as follows:

2007 GNAC Coaches' Volleyball Poll

1. Western Washington (6) 101
2. Seattle Pacific (4) 93
3. Central Washington 73
4. Montana State Billings 64
5. Seattle 60
6. Northwest Nazarene 59
7. Western Oregon 41
8. Alaska 34
9. Alaska Anchorage 20
10. Saint Martin's 10