SPOKANE, Wash. - For leading Seattle University to an 18-9 overall record, including a 9-7 conference record good enough for a tie for fourth place in the final standings, senior Melissa Mulick (Gaston, Ore.) and junior Nikole Thompson (Marysville, Wash.) were voted Second Team All-GNAC, announced Monday afternoon by the conference office.
Taking over as the team's libero this season, Mulick continued the tradition of solid defensive play at Seattle University. Mulick earned at least ten digs in every match this season, including 19 matches with at least 20 digs, four matches with at least 30 digs, and a school-record 41 digs at Colorado School of Mines on Sept. 2. Mulick set the school record for most digs in a season with 637 and obliterated the Seattle record for digs per game in a season with 6.78, over a dig and a half more per game than the previous standard.
In last week's NCAA statistical rankings, Mulick was sixth in Division II in digs per game. She became the fourth player in school history to earn at least 1,000 digs in a career, finishing with 1,175 digs, third on Seattle's all-time list. Her 3.93 digs per game average for her career is second on the school's all-time list. She was named to the GNAC Academic Team for the third consecutive year and also earned GNAC Player of the Week honors on Sept. 5.
Thompson, named the GNAC Player of the Week earlier Monday, led the Redhawks with 345 kills, an average of 3.88 kills per game. It was the fourth highest total for kills and fifth highest mark for kills per game in a single season at Seattle. She also finished second on the squad with 31 service aces and 273 digs. Thompson is presently tied for third in the GNAC in kills per game (3.88), 15th in service aces per game (0.35), and 19th in digs per game (3.07).
The junior outside hitter earned at least ten kills in 20 matches, with a season-high of 19 kills against Western State on Sept. 2. She also reached double figures in digs 18 times, earning a career-high 19 digs on Nov. 2 against NCAA Tournament participant Central Washington. She also notched a season-high four service aces in the match against the Wildcats, and contributed three blocks against Western Oregon on Oct. 12.