PORTLAND, Ore. – The Alaska Anchorage volleyball team put two players on the all-conference team and captured a pair of special awards Monday as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its postseason honors.

Freshman outside hitter Julia Mackey and senior setter Kimya Jafroudi were both voted All-GNAC by the league’s 10 coaches, while Mackey also shared the league’s Freshman of the Year award. Junior middle blocker Jodi Huddleston was chosen Newcomer of the Year and honorable mention all-conference.

Jafroudi was named All-GNAC for the second straight year after capturing second-team honors in 2011. The Huntington Beach, Calif., native was a unanimous choice after ranking third in the GNAC with 10.27 assists per set and leading the conference with 0.46 aces per set.

Mackey was chosen all-league and shared the top freshman award with Alaska Fairbanks’ Sam Harthun. Mackey, from Fairbanks (West Valley HS), ranked ninth in the league with 3.13 kills per set, plus 13th in attack percentage at .251. The first Seawolf ever to earn the Freshman of the Year nod, Mackey ripped double-digit kills in 19 of 26 matches.

Meanwhile, Huddleston gave UAA its third Newcomer of the Year winner in five seasons, following Calli Scott in 2008 and Jafroudi last year. The Scottsbluff, Neb. (Western Nebraska CC) product finished eighth in the league with a .284 attack percentage, while also leading the Seawolves with 66 total blocks.

This year marks the first time in the league’s 12 years that the awards are not split into first and second teams.

2012 GNAC ALL-CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL TEAM
GNAC Player of the Year: Marlayna Geary, WWU (5-10, Sr., Tacoma, WA)
GNAC Defensive Player of the Year: Samantha Hutchinson, WWU (5-7, So., Tacoma, WA)
GNAC Newcomer of the Year: Jodi Huddleston, UAA (6-1, Jr., Scottsbluff, NE)
GNAC co-Freshmen of the Year: Julia Mackey, UAA (5-11, Fr., Fairbanks, AK) and  Sam Harthun, UAF (6-0, Fr., Oregon City, OR)
GNAC Coach of the Year: Diane Flick, WWU

FIRST TEAM: Outside Hitters - +Marlayna Geary, WWU (5-10, Sr., Tacoma, WA); +Marcy Hjellum, CWU (5-11, Sr., Kennewick, WA); Dani Reese, WOU (5-10, Sr., Gig Harbor, WA); Cailin Fellows, SPU (5-10, Sr., Edmonds, WA);  Samantha Ward, WOU (6-2, Sr., Salem, OR); Julia Mackey, UAA (5-11, Fr., Fairbanks, AK). Middle Blockers - +Krissi Kemper, WOU (5-11, Jr., Prineville, OR); Kayla Erickson, WWU (6-1, So., Tacoma, WA); Erin Smith, CWU (5-10, Jr., Selah, WA); Setters -  +Laurie Yearout, WWU (5-9, Sr., Spokane, WA); +Kimya Jafroudi, UAA (5-7, Sr., Huntington Beach, CA); Shelby Swanson, SPU (5-9, Sr., Kennewick, WA). Liberos - Erin Compton, MSUB (5-7, Jr., Billings, MT); Samantha Hutchinson, WWU (5-7, So., Tacoma, WA).  **Two-time repeater (Geary from 2009 & 2011).  *Repeater  +Unanimous.

HONORABLE MENTION: Outside Hitters – Sam Harthun, UAF (6-0, Fr., Oregon City, OR); Monica Grimsrud, MSUB (6-1, So., Montana City, MT); Emmy Dolan, CWU (5-11, Jr., Castle Rock, WA). Middle Blockers – Becky Blees, WOU (6-0, Jr., Portland, OR); Nikki Lowell, SPU (5-10, Jr., Claremont, CA); Jodi Huddleston, UAA (6-1, Jr., Scottsbluff, NE); Katy Ferguson, SMU (6-0, Sr., Tacoma, WA); Becky Flores, NNU (5-10, Sr., Kennewick, WA); Emily Boerger, WWU (6-1, Jr., Marysville, WA).  Setter –  Michelle Terpstra, NNU (5-9, So., Ripon, CA); Catie Fry, CWU (6-0, Fr., North Bend, WA).  Libero – Kaely Kight, CWU (5-10, So., Mead, WA).