Colony grad, UAA standout honored again

Alaska Anchorage senior Eve Stephens was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for volleyball on Monday, earning the honor for the third time this season and tying the league record with the 10th selection of her career.

The rightside hitter averaged 5.81 points, 4.38 kills on .414 hitting and 0.88 aces per set to help No. 14 UAA (14-1, 4-0 GNAC) to wins over Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific in its first GNAC road matches of 2022.

On Thursday the Palmer (Colony HS) native blasted 15 kills on .538 hitting, along with four aces and no service errors, in the Seawolves’ 25-16, 25-17, 25-17 sweep of the Yellowjackets. Two days later in Seattle she recorded a match-high 20 kills on .341 hitting, three aces and a season-high five total blocks to help UAA overcome SPU’s upset bid, 25-21, 25-17, 16-25, 24-26, 15-12.

Already the GNAC’s career leader in points and kills, Stephens claimed UAA’s career points record in Saturday’s win, now with 1,981.

With her tenth career honor, Stephens ties Western Washington’s Kayleigh Harper (2015-19) for the most weekly volleyball awards in GNAC history.

Stephens and the Seawolves are back in action at the Alaska Airlines Center this week with showdowns against defending GNAC champ and nationally ranked Western Washington (8-3, 3-0) on Thursday, and against fellow 2021 NCAA Tournament qualifier Simon Fraser (5-7, 2-1) on Saturday. Both contests start at 7 p.m. ADT. Surf to GoSeawolves.com for tickets.