FULL RELEASE (pdf)
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (November 16, 2016) - The Big Sky Conference has announced its Volleyball All-Conference team and individual award winners for the 2016 season. Regular-season champion North Dakota placed a league-high four players on the first team, headlined by Big Sky Most Valuable Player Sydney Griffin. The team was selected by the league’s coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.
Griffin, a junior from Marshall, Minn., was an essential piece in guiding the Fighting Hawks to a 14-2 Big Sky record for the outright regular season title and tournament hosting rights. She ranks third in the league with 10.61 assists per set overall and 10.84 during league play. Her passing paced a balanced UND attack to a team hitting percentage of .226 overall, with three first-team member teammates each averaging 2.50 kills per set or better.
Griffin was one of five setters named to the first team, a testament to the outstanding all-around play at the position this season in the Big Sky. She has contributed in all aspects totaling 95 kills, 258 digs, 10 solo blocks and 68 block assists. She was additionally one of 12 players in the league with nine or more double-doubles. Griffin’s 1,188 total assists thus far on the season ranks seventh nationally in NCAA Division I.
Transferring to UND this season from Indian Hills CC, Tamara Merseli was picked as the Big Sky’s Top Newcomer. The Belgrade, Serbia-native has averaged 2.83 kills and 3.89 digs per set. During league play, she upped those averages to 3.16 kills and 4.34 digs per set, both ranking her ninth in the conference. During league action, she was the only player to rank in the top 10 in both kill and dig averages, and was the only non-libero in the top 10 digs list. Merseli was named to the first team along with teammates Griffin, Faith Dooley and Chelsea Moser.
Sacramento State’s Lexie Skalbeck was tabbed Libero of the Year after leading the league in digs per set both overall (5.14) and in conference play (5.82). Her total digs on the season rank second overall (555) and first in league action (349). Her 34 digs in a narrow loss at UND were the second-most by a Big Sky player this season, and she also posted three of the league’s 10 20-plus dig outings in three-set matches. The Hornets lead the league in overall digs per set, headed by the senior from Portland, Ore. Skalbeck additionally earned second-team honors, being the only libero/defensive specialist named to either team.
Northern Arizona’s Abby Akin earned Outstanding Freshman honors in the midst of a stellar NCAA debut campaign for the Lumberjacks. Filling the void left by two-time first teamer Payton Bock at middle blocker for NAU, Akin has been a force at the net averaging 1.13 blocks per set (seventh overall) while swinging at a .361 hitting clip (third overall). In conference play, she toted an impressive .381 hitting percentage that topped the Big Sky while averaging a block per set. Akin has helped NAU lead the league in both hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage while the Lumberjacks ranked second in both of those categories during league play. Akin’s feats this year earned her a second-team nod.
The first team was dominated by upper-classmen, including seven seniors. Three first-team setters from 2015 were back on the team this year in Idaho State’s Hayley Farrer, Northern Arizona’s Jensen Barton and Northern Colorado’s Ashley Guthrie. Farrer and Barton each had teammates joining them on the first team including ISU’s Chloe Hirst and NAU’s Lauren Jacobsen.
In a noteworthy theme, five 2015 second-team players moved up to the 2016 first team. UND’s Dooley & Moser, NAU’s Jacobsen, Sac State’s Kennedy Kurtz and Weber State’s Megan Thompson each made the jump to first team this time around. Portland State’s Pati Anae, the league-leader in kills this season, rounded out the first team.
| First Team All-Conference |
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Sydney Griffin ^ |
North Dakota |
Jr. |
Setter |
Marshall, Minn. |
| Hayley Farrer # |
Idaho State |
Sr. |
Setter |
Idaho Falls, Idaho |
| Chloe Hirst |
Idaho State |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Faith Dooley |
North Dakota |
Jr. |
Middle Hitter |
Wheatland, N.D. |
| Chelsea Moser |
North Dakota |
Sr. |
Middle Blocker |
Willamina, Ore. |
| Tamara Merseli |
North Dakota |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Belgrade, Serbia |
| Jensen Barton # |
Northern Arizona |
Sr. |
Setter |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Lauren Jacobsen |
Northern Arizona |
Sr. |
Outside Hitter |
Chandler, Ariz. |
| Ashley Guthrie # |
Northern Colorado |
Sr. |
Setter |
Saugus, Calif. |
| Pati Anae |
Portland State |
Sr. |
Outside Hitter |
Laie, Hawaii |
| Kennedy Kurtz |
Sacramento State |
Sr. |
Setter |
Tucson, Ariz. |
| Megan Thompson |
Weber State |
Sr. |
Middle Blocker |
Richfield, Utah |
^ MVP, # Two-time First Team selection
| Second Team All-Conference |
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Sarah Sharp |
Idaho |
So. |
Outside Hitter |
Filer, Idaho |
| Marissa Todd |
Idaho State |
Jr. |
Middle Blocker |
Kaysville, Utah |
| Abby Akin |
Northern Arizona |
Fr. |
Middle Blocker |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Brittni Dorsey |
Northern Arizona |
So. |
Middle Blocker |
Quartz Hill, Calif. |
| Alex Kloehn |
Northern Colorado |
Jr. |
Middle Blocker |
Corona, Calif. |
| Kortney Lockey |
Northern Colorado |
So. |
Outside Hitter |
Eaton, Colo. |
| Timarie Nymeyer |
Northern Colorado |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
South Lake, Texas |
| Shannon Boyle |
Sacramento State |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Ridgefield, Wash. |
| Madeline Cannon |
Sacramento State |
Sr. |
Outside Hitter |
Sacramento, Calif. |
| Courtney Dietrich |
Sacramento State |
Sr. |
Middle Blocker |
Chelan, Wash. |
| Lexie Skalbeck |
Sacramento State |
Sr. |
Libero |
Portland, Ore. |
| Chennin Benson |
Southern Utah |
Sr. |
Opposite Hitter |
Parowan, Utah |
| Individual Award Winners |
| Award |
Player, School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Most Valuable Player |
Sydney Griffin, North Dakota |
Jr. |
S |
Marshall, Minn. |
| Top Newcomer |
Tamara Merseli, North Dakota |
Jr. |
OH |
Belgrade, Serbia |
| Outstanding Freshman |
Abby Akin, Northern Arizona |
Fr. |
MB |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Libero of the Year |
Lexie Skalbeck, Sacramento State |
Sr. |
L |
Portland, Ore. |