NAMPA, Idaho — The 2026 GNAC volleyball season is here, and conference play opens with a challenging slate across the league as teams look to establish themselves early in the conference race. Northwest Nazarene enters the week among the conference's early storylines, riding a 6-1 start after a strong opening stretch that included five consecutive wins to begin the season and two sweeps at the Redwood Coast Volleyball Classic.
The Nighthawks will open GNAC play on the road with a pair of tough matchups, traveling to Bellingham, Washington, to take on Western Washington on Thursday before heading north to Burnaby, British Columbia, to face No. 23 Simon Fraser on Saturday. With the conference season getting underway, the weekend provides an early opportunity for NNU to make its mark against two of the GNAC's top teams.
Nighthawks' Season So Far:
Northwest Nazarene enters GNAC play at 6-1, marking the program's best start since 2017. The Nighthawks went 2-1 at the Redwood Coast Volleyball Classic last weekend, opening with a 3-0 sweep of Cal Poly Humboldt before falling to No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney in three sets. NNU responded the following morning with another sweep, defeating Rollins 3-0 to close the tournament on a high note.
The Nighthawks have been led offensively by Abby Black, who is averaging 4.04 kills per set while hitting .327 through seven matches. Hailey Cheney has added 3.33 kills per set while posting a team-best .407 hitting percentage, giving NNU two major offensive threats. Jenna Holm is also hitting .328 while Maddy Hellem is averaging 1.79 kills per set.
NNU has been equally strong defensively, averaging 15.33 digs and 1.93 blocks per set. Kayci Spray leads the team with 4.33 digs per set, while Cheney has anchored the net with 22 total blocks. As a team, the Nighthawks are hitting .230 while holding opponents to a .182 attack percentage.
Now, NNU turns its attention to its first GNAC matches of the season and a difficult road weekend. The Nighthawks will begin Thursday at RV Western Washington at 7 p.m. PT at WECU Court at Carver Gym in Bellingham. Western Washington enters conference play at 3-3 after splitting its first two tournaments, including a 3-1 victory over Cal State LA last weekend.
The Nighthawks will then travel to Burnaby, B.C., to face No. 15 Simon Fraser on Saturday at 2 p.m. PT. The Red Leafs enter the weekend at 3-2 after opening the season with wins over San Francisco State, Point Loma and Cal State LA.
With a 6-1 record and momentum behind them, NNU will look to carry its strong nonconference start into GNAC play against two nationally recognized opponents.
Western Washington:
Western Washington enters GNAC play at 3-3 after facing one of the toughest nonconference schedules in Division II. The Vikings opened the season 2-1 before going 1-2 at the Bronco Classic last weekend, falling to No. 23 Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona before closing the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Cal State LA. The six-team nonconference schedule featured six perennial NCAA Tournament teams, including four of the last five West Regional champions, giving WWU plenty of high-level competition heading into conference play.
Offensively, the Vikings have been led by Delaney Speer, who is averaging 3.59 kills per set and 4.18 points per set through six matches. Speer recorded double-digit kills in each of WWU's final two matches at the Bronco Classic, including 12 kills in the win over Cal State LA. Jasmine Terry has added 1.77 kills per set, while Emily Vossenkuhl is hitting a team-best .286 with 1.45 kills per set. WWU has also received contributions from Aly Skagen and Maren Stuber, giving the Vikings several options offensively.
The Vikings have been particularly strong at the net, averaging 2.48 blocks per set. Vossenkuhl leads the team with 35 total blocks, averaging 1.59 per set, while Terry has added 17 blocks. Defensively, Finnley Claeys leads WWU with 3.14 digs per set, followed by Chayse Flick-Williams at 2.95 digs per set. Flick-Williams also made an impact in the Vikings' final nonconference match, recording 15 digs and four service aces against Cal State LA.
WWU's final match of the Bronco Classic provided a strong momentum boost heading into GNAC play. After splitting the first two sets against Cal State LA, the Vikings rallied to win the final two, including a dramatic 27-25 fourth set. With the score tied at 25-25, Speer delivered back-to-back kills to seal the victory. The fourth set featured 12 ties and eight lead changes as WWU closed its nonconference schedule with a statement win.
All-time vs Western Washington:
The Nighthawks have faced the Vikings 49 times in their division II history with an all time record of 6-43. Their last matchup was on November 22, 2025. The Nighthawks ended their season last year against the Vikings in a four set battle falling to the WWU team 3-1.
Simon Fraser:
Simon Fraser enters GNAC play at 3-3 after closing its nonconference schedule with a 1-2 showing at the Bronco Classic. The Red Leafs opened the tournament with a dominant 3-0 sweep of Cal State LA, hitting .333 as a team and holding the Golden Eagles to just 46 points. SFU then battled No. 23 Cal State San Bernardino to five sets before falling 15-13 in the deciding frame, followed by a 3-1 loss to Cal Poly Pomona.
The Red Leafs have been led offensively by Katarina Damnjanovic, who is averaging 3.21 kills per set and 3.40 points per set while hitting .301 through six matches. Nina Kovacevic has been one of SFU's most efficient attackers, hitting an impressive .412 while averaging 2.08 kills per set. Brooklyn Robinson is adding 2.50 kills per set with a .273 hitting percentage, while Logan Remington is hitting .333 and averaging 1.88 kills per set. Ella McVittie has directed the offense with 8.50 assists per set.
SFU has also been strong defensively, averaging 13.79 digs and 2.00 blocks per set while holding opponents to a .170 attack percentage. Macyn Unger leads the Red Leafs with 3.83 digs per set, while Megan Hawkins has added 2.38 digs per set and Brooklyn Robinson is averaging 2.21. At the net, Logan Remington has recorded a team-high 37 total blocks, averaging 1.54 blocks per set, with Kovacevic adding 17 blocks.
The Red Leafs showed their ability to compete against quality competition during the Bronco Classic, particularly in their five-set battle with Cal State San Bernardino. After dropping the opening set, SFU answered with a 25-17 win in the second and later forced the deciding fifth set by taking the fourth 25-18. The Red Leafs also saved one of their strongest offensive performances for their final match, hitting .246 against Cal Poly Pomona despite falling in four sets.
Through six matches, SFU is hitting .259 as a team, significantly higher than its opponents' .170 mark, while averaging 12.00 kills per set. The Red Leafs have also produced 2.00 blocks per set compared to 1.54 for their opponents, giving them a strong combination of offensive efficiency and defensive pressure heading into conference play.
All-time vs Simon Fraser:
The Nighthawks have faced the Red Leafs 33 times in their division II history with an all time record of 14-19. Their last matchup was on November 20, 2025. The Nighthawks found themselves out matched by the SFU team and fell 3-0.
