PORTLAND, Ore. - The Great Northwest Athletic Conference has named Abby Black Attacker of the Week after a career weekend in Seaside, Calif.

The two-time All-GNAC selection had a career weekend at the Otter Invitational hosted by Cal State Monterey Bay. In the first four games of the 2026 season, Black recorded 82 kills with a .333 kill efficiency on 180 total attacks.

Black played a key role in the Nighthawks' 4-0 start, the best start since 2023. Against the University of Sioux Falls, Black put together a 21-kill performance with a .378 kill efficiency while adding 12 digs and a service to her stat line as NNU took down the Cougars 3-2 (25-19, 28-30, 23-25, 26-24, 15-10).

The second match was where Black really took off. The Nighthawks dominated Dominican, 3-1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-11, 25-19), as Black was unstoppable. She posted the second-most kills in a single game in program history with 31, with a ridiculous .652 kill efficiency on 46 total attacks. She also added four service aces, five digs, and a block assist to add to the best game of her career.

The Wenatchee, Wash. native added 13 kills against the host Otters as NNU won 3-1 (25-22, 25-27, 25-23, 25-18) and added 17 kills on 44 total attacks against Cal State San Marcos as the NNU won in comeback fashion 3-2 (25-23, 25-22, 18-25, 25-20, 17-15).

Black's 82 kills is the most kills by an NNU player through the first four matches of a season in the rally-scoring era. She currently leads the GNAC in kills with 82 kills per set (4.56 per set) through 18 sets.