PORTLAND, Ore. – She was the first one ever to win Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
 
No surprise then, that coaches around the Great Northwest Athletic Conference are expecting more of the same from Hannah Hair..
 
 

The Seattle Pacific fifth-year middle blocker, who led NCAA Division II in blocks per set in 2023, has been voted as the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year for the upcoming 2024 campaign.
 
She is the first Falcon to earn that honor.
 
 

Joining Hair on the elite 14-player squad is fellow fifth-year middle blocker Allison Wilks. This is Hair's fourth time on the Preseason All-GNAC list – all unanimous – and Wilks' second time.
 
"The GNAC is pretty familiar at this point with what Hannah does and how hard she works," Falcons head coach Jason Rhine said. "The expectation is that she is going to continue to do so. That's what we're hoping for and training for. Hannah has been working hard and is excited to help our team however she can this coming season."
 
Wilks was the conference's top hitter last fall.
 
 

"It has been really fun to see Alli continue to grow as a player and a leader the last couple of years," Rhine said. "She was a big effective offensive threat for us last year, and the GNAC is very aware of what she's able to do on both sides of the ball and what she brings to the court."
 
Hair and Wilks were two of the biggest reasons why SPU enjoyed a stellar season last fall. The Falcons went 22-5 overall, 16-2 in GNAC play to claim their first conference crown since 2011. They also went to the NCAA West Regionals for the first time since that same 2011 season.
 
Hair, who played in and started all 27 matches, was the NCAA Division II leader in blocks per set (1.63) and No. 2 in total blocks (160). She had five matches of double-digit blocks, including a career high-tying 11 at Central Washington on Oct. 19.
 
When she wasn't blocking the ball, she was hitting it with accuracy. Last Sept. 2 against Cal State San Marcos, Hair tied the school single-match hitting record of .833 with 10 kills and no errors on 12 attacks.
 
Along with her two GNAC postseason honors, Hair was a second-team All-American selection by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and was a first-team All-West Region pick both by AVCA and the D2 Conference Commissioners Association. She also was GNAC All-Academic and College Sports Communicators / CoSIDA Academic All-District for the third time.
 
Wilks also started all 27 matches and played in all 101 sets. Her .404 hitting percentage (162 kills-32 errors-322 attacks) made her the first Falcon ever to finish a season north of .400. Along the way, Wilks had nine error-free matches. She hit .400-plus three times, .500-plus eight times, .600-plus three times, and .700-plus two times.
 
Defensively, Wilks had 10 matches of four or more blocks, with six in two matches, seven in one, and eight in one. She tied her career high with 10 kills on Sept. 8 against St. Edward's and twice tied her career high with five service aces.
 
Wilks was an All-GNAC first team selection for the first time after making the honorable mention list in 2022. A nursing major, she also made the GNAC All-Academic team for the third time and was a first-time CSC / CoSIDA Academic All-District choice.


PRESEASON ALL-GNAC VOLLEYBALL TEAM
 

Name	School	Position	Ht.	Yr.	Hometown (Previous School)
Hannah Hair	Seattle Pacific	MB	6-1	GR	Walla Walla, WA (Walla Walla)
Emma Daoud-Hebert	Central Washington	MB	6-0	GR	Woodinville, WA (Woodinville)
Scottie Ellsworth	Central Washington	RS	6-2	JR	Kent, WA (Kentwood)
Brooke Dexter	Simon Fraser	OPP	6-2	SR	Anchorage, AK (West Anchorage)
Devyn Oestreich	Western Washington	OH	6-0	JR	Olympia, WA (Capital)
Allison Wilks	Seattle Pacific	MB	6-1	GR	Bothell, WA (North Creek)
Hannah Stires	Central Washington	LIB	5-5	GR	Nine Mile Falls, WA (Lakeside)
Madison Hornback	Western Oregon	OH	5-10	SR	Oregon City, OR (Oregon City)
Karli Nielson	Alaska Fairbanks	OH	5-11	SR	South Weber, UT (Northridge)
Jocelyn Sherman	Simon Fraser	OH	5-10	SR	Victoria, BC (Belmont Secondary)
Emily Garten	Saint Martin's	OH	5-10	SO	Placentia, CA (El Dorado)
Emily Vossenkuhl	Western Washington	MB	6-1	MB	Ridgefield, WA (Ridgefield)
Miya Koch	Northwest Nazarene	RS	5-11	RS	Meridian, ID (Centennial)
Delaney Speer	Western Washington	OH	5-11	OH	Maple Valley, WA (Tahoma)

Preseason Player of the Year: Hannah Hair, Seattle Pacific
 

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