Dec. 3, 2007

For the second straight season, outside hitter Megan Thigpen is the Alaska Nanooks' Most Valuable Player.

Thigpen, a sophomore from Spokane, Wash., received the honor at the end-of-season volleyball awards banquet Sunday afternoon at the Wood Center Ballroom. She led the squad in kills, digs, aces and points.

Thigpen, a Great Northwest Athletic Conference honorable mention selection, also shared the Defensive Player of the Year Award with freshman middle blocker Erica Gage.

Junior middle hitter Korlyn Bolster, also a GNAC honorable mention pick, earned the Offensive Player of the Year Award, while the Unsung Hero Award went to freshman outside hitter Melissa Refuerzo of Anchorage.

Sophomore defensive specialist Hannah Armstrong was chosen by Amy Phelps for the Assistant Coach's Award and junior setter Sedra Zlock received Phil Shoemaker's Head Coach's Award.

Jenna Jones and Jessica King were lauded as the two outgoing seniors.

Making the GNAC All-Academic Team were Jones, King, Armstrong, Thigpen, Jessica Hill, Alexa Sherman and Miranda Trudeau.

The Nanooks' 10-16 campaign was a roller coaster: It started out with seven wins in nine matches (the best start in team history), endured a difficult GNAC season (4-14) and ended with an uplifting win at Alaska Anchorage, which completed a season sweep of their arch rivals for the first time since om conference history. Their season ending victory was also the program's first win at UAA since Shoemaker's first season at the helm (2000).