PORTLAND, Ore. – It's been a strong year in the classroom for the Western Oregon University volleyball team as they placed ten student-athletes on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic Team on Wednesday, Presented by Barnes & Noble College.
WOU had two with perfect 4.0 GPA marks in Bella Maclellan and Emily Olson. Aubrey Stanton is on the list for the third time in her career, while Delaney Smith and Lauren Smith are on the list for a second straight time. Joining them on this year's list includes Carly Cox, Isabel Hurliman, Sophie Matlock, Laney O'Neil and Emily West.
Maclellan holds a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in exercise science. The freshman middle from Santa Ana, Calif., has played in 44 sets this season and is second on the team in blocks with 38. Maclellan also has 39 kills to post 62 points on the season. Maclellan is coming off of a .429 hitting performance against Saint Martin's and nine times this season she has had multiple kills with a high of nine against Saint Martin's in the first meeting. Her top blocking game was against Western New Mexico where Maclellan had six total blocks, with four coming solo. Four times this year she's tallied a solo block and has sent back at least one block in all 12 matches played.
Olson also has a perfect 4.0 GPA and has yet to declare a major. The freshman outside hitter from Bend, Ore., has played in 46 sets this season. She is fifth on the team in points with 72.5, collecting 59 kills, 19 blocks and 26 digs. Olson has at least one kill in all 14 matches played this season, going for multiple kills in 12 matches. She tallied a season-high eight kills against nationally-ranked St. Cloud State and added five blocks against Hawaii Pacific.
Stanton earned All-Academic honors both in 2019 and during the 2020-21 shortened spring season. She holds a 3.53 GPA while majoring in business. The junior setter from Camas, Wash., has played in 56 sets this season and leads the team in assists with 341. Stanton is also tied for the team lead in service aces with 22 and has 15 kills, 96 digs and seven blocks. She has reached double-digits in assists in 14 matches, going for at least 35 on four different occasions. Stanton's season-high of 40 assists was against Hawaii Pacific and she has two double-doubles this year going for 26 assists and 10 digs against Northwest Nazarene and 24 assists and 15 digs against Saint Martin's in the first meeting, as Stanton has at least two digs in all 16 matches played this year. Stanton has spun in multiple service aces in five matches, going for a season-high six against Montana State Billings.
Delaney Smith earned All-Academic during the shortened 2020-21 spring season as well. She holds a 3.89 GPA while majoring in psychology. The junior middle from Salem, Ore., has played in 24 sets this season, tallying 17 kills and 19 blocks. Smith posted a season-high four blocks on three different occasions against Central Washington, Northwest Nazarene and Western Washington. She added four kills in the match against Western Washington.
Lauren Smith earned All-Academic during the shortened 2020-21 spring season as well. She holds a 3.51 GPA while majoring in education. The sophomore outside hitter from Highland, Utah, has played in 58 sets this season, coming away with 95 kills, 43 digs and 24 blocks. Smith has posted over 10 kills in a match twice, with a season-high 12 against Montana State Billings. In the 17 matches played this season, Smith has multiple kills in 16 of them. She tallied five blocks against Biola and added nine digs against St. Cloud State. Smith ranks third on the team in overall points with 110.5.
Cox holds a 3.84 GPA while majoring in exercise science. The sophomore defensive specialist from Spokane, Wash., has seen time in five sets this season and a start against Concordia Irvine, recording a dig against the Eagles.
Hurliman holds a 3.57 GPA while majoring in biology. The sophomore outside hitter from Tillamook, Ore., leads the Wolves in several categories including points (229), kills (192), and tied for the team lead in service aces (22). Hurliman is second on the team in digs (173) and third in blocks (29), while playing in all 64 sets this year. Eleven times this season Hurliman has had at least 10 kills and has at least four in every match. She posted a season-high of 17 twice against Hawaii Pacific and Northwest Nazarene. Hurliman has recorded a dig in every match this season, reaching 10 or more on nine different occasions and a season-high 21 against Biola. Six times this season Hurliman has collected a double-double in kills and digs against Biola (12 kills, 21 digs), Montana State Billings (16 kills, 17 digs), Hawaii Pacific (17 kills, 14 digs), Saint Martin's (15 kills, 12 digs), Cal State Dominguez Hills (13 kills, 11 digs) and against Western Washington (13 kills, 11 digs). Hurliman also has multiple blocks in eight matches, going for a season-high five against Hawaii Pacific and she added six service aces against the Sharks.
Matlock holds a 3.60 GPA while majoring in exercise science. The freshman defensive specialist from Bend, Ore., has been the main defensive specialist for the Wolves this year along the back row. Matlock leads the team in digs with 252, averaging 3.94 per set. She also has 40 assists and 12 service aces. Matlock has at least five digs in every match this season, reaching double-digits in 13 matches while playing all 64 sets this year. She reached a season-high 29 against Hawaii Pacific and has at least 20 in three matches. Matlock added five assists against Concordia Irvine and four service aces against Hawaii Pacific.
O'Neil holds a 3.46 GPA while majoring in education. The freshman setter from Santa Rosa, Calif., has played in 38 sets this year, coming away with 186 assists, 10 service aces, 87 digs and five blocks. O'Neil has dished out 13 or more assists in eight matches, going for a season-high 30 against Cal State Dominguez Hills. She has reached at least 23 assists in three matches. She added four service aces against Cal State Dominguez Hills and has three matches with at least 10 digs on the year, going for a season-high 17 versus Western Washington. O'Neil has two double-doubles this season in assists and digs against Western Washington (17 assists, 17 digs) and Saint Martin's (23 assists and 14 digs).
West holds a 3.64 GPA while majoring in computer science. The sophomore setter from Salem, Ore., has seen time in four sets this year and two matches. West faced both of the Alaska schools at home in September, picking up 23 assists, five digs and three service aces against Alaska Anchorage and then adding two assists against Alaska Fairbanks.
WOU returns home this week to face Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday with both matches starting at 7 p.m. inside New PE Gym.
