PORTLAND, Ore. – The Seattle Pacific Falcons are pulling off some big wins on the volleyball court this fall.
 
They're doing the same thing in the classroom.
 
Led by three-time selections Maddie Batiste and Erin Gould, SPU placed a program-record 14 players onto the Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic squad that was announced on Thursday.
 
The previous high for the Falcons on the conference academic honor roll was eight players, in 2014, 2017, and 2019.
 
 

"They very much work hard in school and care about things outside of volleyball," said head coach Abbie Wright, whoe team is 11-7 overall and has defeated two nationally-ranked opponents this season.. "As I've said before, if you can be diligent about the little things outside of your sport, you'll be diligent with things in your sport – how you do anything is how you do everything.
 
"I'm real proud of them and excited for them, and I'm glad they're getting some payoff for their efforts."
 
SPU tied with Central Washington for the most players on the 2021 GNAC list.
 
 

Outside hitter Batiste, a fifth-year senior is a communications major with a 3.41 grade-point average. She has a team-leading 165 kills, an average of 2.66 per set, to go along with 13 service aces, 28 blocks and 131 digs. Batiste recorded her third double-double of the season in last Saturday's five-set victory against Alaska Fairbanks with a season-high 18 kills along with 10 digs. She is closing in on 1,000 career points, starting this week with 945.5.
 
 

Senior outside hitter Gould is a political science major with a 3.77 GPA. She has 130 kills, setting a career high with 15 against Northwest Nazarene on Sept. 16 and matching that at Montana State Billings on Oct. 9. In that NNU match, Gould also recorded her first double-double, adding a career-high 21 digs to the 15 kills. Her 136 digs is the second-highest total on the team.
 
Earning a place on the team for the second time are Ashley Antoniak, Paige Dawson, Austin Ibale, and Lindsey Lambert, all of them juniors.

 

Antoniak, who plays opposite, has a 3.71 GPA as a business administration major. She has 20 kills and 50 digs this fall. Dawson, a nutrition and dietetics major with a 3.66 GPA, is a serving and defensive specialist, and has played in 19 sets with two service aces.

 

  Ibale and Lambert are both setters. Ibale is majoring in psychology and is carrying a 3.76 GPA. She is coming off a big week at home against the Alaska schools, capped by her first collegiate double-double last Saturday against Fairbanks when she had 12 assists and a career-high 14 digs. Lambert, an applied human biology major with a 3.61 GPA, has racked up 311 assists and 103 digs. In last Thursday's sweep of No. 24 Alaska Anchorage, she tied her career high with six block assists.
 
Rounding out SPU's group of 14 are eight sophomores who are on the team for the first time: outside hitter / opposite Sarah Brachvogel (business administration / 3.96), middle blocker Hannah Hair (exercise science / 3.87), outside / opposite Sydney Perry (physiology / 3.57), opposite Maddie Pruden (psychology / 3.81), outside / libero Lindsay Rosenthal (business administration / 3.95), libero / defensive specialist Zoe Shuckhart (sociology / 3.71), middle blocker Erin Smith (nursing / 3.89), and middle blocker Allison Wilks (nursing / 3.96).
 
"Coach Wright has done a really good job of recruiting women who can both play volleyball and get it done in the classroom," said Shelby Stueve, SPU's Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Student Success. "She has worked really hard with her team to make sure they have a good culture and have an understanding of being student-athletes, and that shows. They go to class, they work hard, and they're also winning volleyball matches, which is awesome."

To qualify for the GNAC All-Academic Teams, presented by Barnes & Noble College, nominees must be of sophomore eligibility or greater, have a minimum cumulative GPA or 3.20 or higher, be a letterwinner on their team,and must be in at least their second year at their school.
 
Because of eligibility waivers provided by the NCAA due to the cancellation of the 2020 season, players who continue to hold freshman athletic eligibility but are in their second season of competition at the nominating institution were eligible for selection to the GNAC All-Academic team. Also eligible were players who otherwise would have completed their careers last year, but elected to take advantage of the waiver and return for one more season.
 
 
GNAC 2021 VOLLEYBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Presented by Barnes & Noble College
 

SEATTLE PACIFIC
Name	Academic Major	Year	GPA	Hometown
* Ashley Antoniak	Business Administration	Jr.	3.71	Litchfield Park, Ariz.
*+ Maddie Batiste	Communications	Sr.	3.41	Portland, Ore.
Sarah Brachvogel	Business Administration	So.	3.96	Mukilteo, Wash.
* Paige Dawson	Nutrition & Dietetics	Jr.	3.66	Spokane, Wash.
*+ Erin Gould	Political Science	Sr.	3.77	Kent, Wash.
Hannah Hair	Exercise Science	So.	3.87	Walla Walla, Wash.
* Austin Ibale	Psychology	Jr.	3.76	Renton, Wash.
* Lindsey Lambert	Applied Human Biology	Jr.	3.61	Beaverton, Ore.
Sydney Perry	Physiology	So.	3.57	Cave Creek, Ariz.
Maddie Pruden	Psychology	So.	3.81	Poulsbo, Wash.
Lindsay Rosenthal	Business Administration	So.	3.95	Richland, Wash.
Zoe Shuckhart	Sociology	So.	3.71	University Place, Wash.
Erin Smith	Nursing	So.	3.89	Carlsbad, Calif.
Allison Wilks	Nursing	So.	3.96	Bothell, Wash.