Yet another measure of the UAA volleyball team's exceptional season arrived Wednesday, when three Seawolves earned Division II All-America honors, matching the number in the program's previous 35 seasons.
Senior right-side hitter Julia Mackey was voted First-Team All-America -- she's the first first-teamer in Seawolves history -- and senior outside hitter Katelynn Zanders and junior setter Morgan Hooe were voted Third-Team All-America.
The Seawolves were honored in voting by the American Volleyball Coaches Association's committee of eight coaches.
Three Seawolves previously earned All-America honors: Zanders was second team in 2013, middle blocker Robyn Burton was second team in 2011 and outside hitter Rhea Caldwell was second team in 2008.
UAA last weekend advanced to the West Regional semifinals before being eliminated by Cal State San Bernardino. That run by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions, who as the region's top seed hosted the tournament, matched the deepest the Seawolves have ventured in the postseason.
At 27-3 (.900 winning percentage), UAA set program records for most wins, fewest losses and highest winning percentage. The Seawolves opened the season with a program-record 14 consecutive victories and their 12-game winning streak that was snapped in the season-ending, five-set loss to Cal State San Bernardino marked the third-longest winning streak in program history.
Mackey, Zanders and Hooe were linchpins for coach Chris Green's team. All three were voted All-GNAC, along with redshirt freshman outside hitter Leah Swiss, and that group was testament to Green's in-state recruiting – Mackey is from Fairbanks, and Zanders, Hooe and Swiss are all from Anchorage.
Zanders also was voted GNAC Player of the Year and Green was honored as GNAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his eight seasons.
The Seawolves' postseason ambitions took a hit in the first round of regionals when Zanders suffered a sprained left ankle in the opening set of a five-set victory over Dixie State of Utah. Zanders did not play in the semifinal against Cal State San Bernardino, marking the first match she missed in her career.
Mackey, the first player in GNAC history to rack four straight all-conference honors, averaged 2.99 kills per set and 3.71 points per set while delivering an attack percentage of .290. Mackey ranks fourth all-time at UAA in kills (1,130) and 10th in total blocks (245), and is one of four players in Seawolves history to furnish more than 1,000 kills and 200 total blocks.
Zanders led the Seawolves with 3.71 kills per set and 4.29 points per set, and generated a .227 attack percentage. Her 1,392 career kills ranks No. 2 all-time at UAA.
Hooe orchestrated the offense, and her average of 10.56 assists per set this season ranks 10th all-time at UAA for single-season average.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr