By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University senior outside hitter
Delaney Speer has been announced as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week for conference volleyball matches played October 12-18.
The senior from Maple Valley earned her first GNAC Player of the Week award this season and second of her career after matching her career-high with 25 kills in a 3-1 home victory over No. 20 nationally ranked Simon Fraser University Friday night in Carver Gym.
Speer tallied her 11th double-double of the season adding 13 digs to her 25 kills with a .333 hitting percentage. The pin hitter also contributed a pair of service aces for 27.5 points leading Western to the 26-28, 25-18, 25-22, 25-23 victory over the first-place Red Leafs.
In addition to the big single-match performance, Speer made history reaching the 1,000 kill mark for her career, becoming the 17th player in WWU Volleyball history to achieve that mark and just the seventh Viking to join the 1,000-kill, 1,000-dig club.
In the 26 year history of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Speer is the 27th player to reach the 1,000 kill and 1,000 dig carer milestone, and just the 13th player with at least 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs and 100 service aces.
Speer is having a banner senior season leading the GNAC averaging 3.97 kills per set (250 total kills), ranks 10th averaging 3.11 digs per set, 4th with 0.44 service aces per set and is also the league leader averaging 4.60 points per set (2nd place is at 4.17 points/set).
"I couldn't be prouder of Delaney. She has been a stable factor at a high level for us all year long," said WWU head coach
Diane Flick-Williams. "She continues to look at each day as an opportunity to get better, and that consistency is paying off in her senior campaign. To tie her career night against the No. 1 team in the conference and to join the 1,000/1,000 club is the result of all her hard work and, quite frankly, who she is. This is so well deserved."
WWU has had three GNAC Player of the Week award winners this season with Speer joining defensive award winners
Emily Vossenkuhl (August 24-30) and
Finnley Claeys (September 7-13).
The Vikings are 8-8 overall and in 5th place in the GNAC standings with a 5-5 conference records. WWU hosts Alaska Fairbanks (Thursday) and Alaska Anchorage (Saturday) in 7 pm matches on WECU Court in Carver Gym.
