Elena Guc has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week, marking her second career GNAC weekly honor and first for this season. The announcement was made by the GNAC on Monday, November 24.
Guc’s performance during the final week of the regular season included 12 total blocks across two matches, with 10 block assists recorded in a sweep against Montana State Billings on Saturday, November 22. She averaged two blocks per set as Alaska won both matches and secured a share of its first-ever GNAC volleyball title. In addition to her defensive efforts, Guc nearly achieved a double-double against Montana State Billings with eight kills after registering nine kills in a previous win over Seattle Pacific. Over her collegiate career spanning 103 matches, she has accumulated 273 blocks and 793 kills.
Head coach Brian Scott praised Guc’s contributions: “As always, Gucster made the big plays when we needed them most,” he said. “She always seems to shine in big moments. This week was more of the same as she made the kill or got us a crucial block to keep or change momentum.”
The Alaska Nanooks completed their regular season with a record of 23-5 overall and 14-4 in conference play, finishing as co-champions alongside Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, and Simon Fraser. This is the first time that Alaska has claimed a GNAC Championship in volleyball. The team also earned the conference’s sole automatic berth into the NCAA Volleyball Tournament for 2025—another program milestone.
The NCAA Division II Volleyball Selection Show will take place today at 3:30 p.m. AKST and can be viewed on NCAA.com.
