After leading the Western Athletic Conference in blocking and hitting percentage for the vast majority of the 2014 season, junior middle blocker Martina Samadan (Split, Croatia) was voted First Team All-WAC by the conference coaches as the postseason awards were announced Wednesday evening at the pre-tournament reception.
In addition, first-year opposite hitter Jelena Vujcin (Becej, Serbia) earned a spot on the WAC All-Freshman Team, as she helped the Redhawks finish with a winning conference mark for the second consecutive season.
Heading to the WAC Tournament, Samadan leads the conference in hitting percentage in all matches at .356, plus she is third in the league in blocks per set (1.21), fifth in points per set (3.64), and ninth in service aces per set (0.26). In WAC matches only, she is fourth in the league in hitting percentage (.361), fifth in blocks per set (1.19), sixth in points per set (3.68), seventh in service aces per set (0.26), and 10th in kills per set (2.72).
Samadan finished with a career-high 24 kills against Grand Canyon Oct. 18, the most kills in a four-set match by any WAC player this season. She also earned three of the conference’s top 10 blocking efforts this season, collecting 10 blocks against Pacific Sept. 4 and nine blocks at Missouri-Kansas City Oct. 11 and against Utah Valley Oct. 25. She hit .645 at Montana Sept. 18, tied for the fourth-highest hitting percentage in a single match among those with at least 12 kills, plus she was a perfect 7-for-7 in attack attempts against Chicago State Nov. 8.
Vujcin enters the week fourth on the team with 148 kills, averaging 2.06 kills per set, and she is second on the team with 18 service aces. She has reached double figures in kills six times so far this season, including a season-high 16 kills at Montana Sept. 18. Vujcin notched a double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs against New Mexico State Oct. 4, and she finished with 11 kills in each of Seattle U’s matches against Grand Canyon.
Regular season conference champion Missouri-Kansas City led the way with three First Team All-WAC honorees, including WAC Player of the Year Emma Hagedorn. UMKC head coach Christi Posey was named WAC Coach of the Year, and Grand Canyon outside hitter Natalie Tardy was voted WAC Freshman of the Year.
Seattle University (12-15, 8-6 WAC) will face Utah Valley in the first round of the WAC Volleyball Tournament for the second consecutive year, with the match taking place Thursday, Nov. 20, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Icardo Center, as Bakersfield is the host school for this year’s tournament. The winner will face top seed UMKC Friday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m., with the championship match taking place Saturday, Nov. 22, at 5 p.m.