Nov. 7, 2007

FAIRBANKS, AK- After having just two players placed on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference volleyball team a year ago, the Alaska Nanooks had seven student-athletes named to this year's team, making them the most represented school on the list.

Seniors Jenna Jones and Jess King, who are majoring in biology and communications, respectively, grabbed spots on the Academic All-Conference team for the third straight year, while sophomore setter Alexa Sherman led the Nanooks with a 3.85 GPA in her arts and sciences major.

Other Nanooks earning spots on the Academic All-Conference team include junior Miranda Trudeau (Spanish) and sophomores Megan Thigpen (business), Hannah Armstrong (business) and Jessica Hill (biology).

"Earning GNAC all-academic honors is a great accomplishment for these student-athletes," said head coach Phil Shoemaker. "We pride ourselves on offering a balanced program, and UAF has many great instructors and academic support personnel in place to make this possible. However, it is the hard work and dedication of these young ladies that makes it work."

Such strong representation on the Academic All-Conference team helps the Blue and Gold end their roller-coaster of a season on a positive note: Alaska got off to their best start in team history, jumping out to a 7-2 record before being pegged back to 9-16. The Nanooks now have a reason to hold their heads high, however, heading into their final match of the season, a road showdown with rival Anchorage on Nov. 10.

The full list of the 2007 GNAC Volleyball Academic All-Conference Team is as follows:

GNAC Volleyball Academic All-Conference Team
Alexa Sherman, Alaska Fairbanks (Arts & Sciences, So., 3.85, Calabasas, CA)
** Jenna Jones, Alaska Fairbanks (Biology, Sr., 3.73, Fairbanks, AK)
Megan Thigpen, Alaska Fairbanks (Business, So., 3.58, Spokane, WA)
Miranda Trudeau, Alaska Fairbanks (Spanish, Jr., 3.52, Chimacum, WA)
Hannah Armstrong, Alaska Fairbanks (Business, So., 3.45, Eagle River, AK)
Jessica Hill, Alaska Fairbanks (Biology, So., 3.36, Colorado Springs, CO)
** Jessica King, Alaska Fairbanks (Communications, Sr., 3.31, Hailey, ID)
**Bree Brandt, Central Washington (Elementary Education, Sr., 3.87, Bellingham, WA)
Erin Norris, Central Washington (Undeclared, So., 3.60, Spokane, WA)
Deidre Scheidt, Central Washington (Math Teaching, So., 3.49, Milton, WA)
Maggie Olson, Central Washington (Economics, Jr., 3.43, Snoqualmie, WA)
**Erika Stevens, Central Washington (Food Science & Nutrition, Sr., 3.38, Fairbanks, AK)
Lauren Vercammen, Central Washington (Undeclared, Jr., 3.28, Bellingham, WA)
Alicia Cazemier, Montana State Billings (Biology/Chemistry, Sr., 3.74, Vauxhall, Alberta)
Jessica Lechner, Montana State Billings (Math Education, Jr., 3.29, Pompeys Pillar, MT)
Katrina Solomon, Montana State Billings (Biology, So., 3.37, Billings, MT)
**Kristi Wigren, Northwest Nazarene (Social Science Education, Sr., 3.95, Olympia, WA)
**Loni (Loveland) Evenson, Northwest Nazarene (English Education, Sr., 3.93, Middleton, ID)
Allison James, Northwest Nazarene (Kinesiology, Sr., 3.31, San Diego, CA)
**Chelsea (Lewis) Pelton, Northwest Nazarene (Applied Studies, Sr., 3.31, Bellevue, WA)
Cammy Dranginis, Northwest Nazarene (Kinesiology Education, So., 3.21, Nampa, ID)
Elise Dike, Saint Martin's (Psychology, So., 3.71, Shelton, WA)
*Libby Graff, Seattle (Mathematics, Jr., 3.56, Beaverton, OR)
*Nikole Thompson, Seattle (Psychology, Sr., 3.48, Marysville, WA)
Haley Bury, Seattle (Journalism/Mass Communications, Jr., 3.24, Roy, WA)
Jessica Gunderson, Seattle (Mechanical Engineering, So., 3.22, Duvall, WA)
Nicole Finley, Seattle Pacific (European Studies, Jr., 3.89, Highlands Ranch, CO)
Robin De Jong, Seattle Pacific (Sociology, So., 3.81, Goleta, CA)
**Alyssa Given, Seattle Pacific (Nursing, Sr., 3.32, Salinas, CA)
*Torii Mount, Seattle Pacific (Family & Consumer Behavior, Sr. 3.49, Gresham, OR)
**Rachel Biornstad, Seattle Pacific (Info Systems Management, Sr., 3.39, Kent, WA)
Lisa Martini, Western Oregon (Exercise Science, So., 3.94, Philomath, OR)
*Stacey Bennett, Western Oregon (Psychology, Jr., 3.89, Portland, OR)
Amy Herron, Western Oregon (Exercise Science, So., 3.79, Spokane, WA)
Jessica Baty, Western Oregon (Exercise Science, So. 3.71, Pendleton, OR)
Danielle English, Western Oregon (Exercise Science, So., 3.40, Anchorage, AK)
*Claire Carpenter, Western Oregon (Early Childhood Education, Sr., 3.33, Gresham, OR)
*Tiana Roma, Western Washington (Biology, Jr., 3.78, Edmonds, WA)
**Courtney Schneider, Western Washington (Community Health, Sr., 3.59, Snohomish, WA)

*Repeater **Two-time repeater