SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Five Gonzaga volleyball players earned West Coast Conference All-Academic honors Wednesday as announced by the league office. Chapin Gray and Julia Talarico snagged WCC All-Academic Team honors while Jenna Kuehn, Payton Mack and Sarah Penner were named All-WCC Academic Honorable Mention.
 
The award is the second all-academic honor for Gray as she was named honorable mention a season ago. The junior outside hitter carries a 3.83 cumulative GPA as a psychology major. This season, she ranked second on the squad in kills with 210 for a 2.10 per set average while adding 1.38 digs per set and 0.29 blocks. She finished with double-figure kills seven times on the season and finished with one double-double--14 kills, 20 digs against Pacific on Oct. 12—on the season. Gray was also named to the Gonzaga Invitational All-Tournament Team in early September.
 
The honor is the first for junior Julia Talarico. The Chandler, Ariz., native is majoring in biochemistry and carries a 3.85 cumulative GPA. This season, she stepped in as libero for the Zags in 72 sets and led the Bulldogs in digs per set with a 3.28 average. She strung together 10 matches with double-figure digs from Oct. 12-Nov. 16, including a career-high 27 digs in a five-set loss at San Francisco on Oct. 19. Talarico also contributed to Gonzaga's record-breaking serving season, delivering 23 aces on the year.
 
Kuehn collected her third-straight honorable mention nod after posting a 3.64 cumulative GPA as a nursing major. This season, she moved into fifth all-time in career assists with 2,069, and the Eugene, Ore., native also ranked fifth all-time in assists per set with an even 5.00. Kuehn led the Bulldogs in assists this season with 736 on the year for a 6.69 per set average. Earlier in September, Kuehn was named the Most Valuable Player of the Gonzaga Invitational after leading the Zags to the tournament title averaging 8.80 assists per set and 1.90 digs per set. The graduating senior eclipsed 40 assists twice on the season--including a career-high 49 at San Francisco on Oct. 19—and recorded at least 30 assists 12 times on the year.
 
Senior middle blocker Payton Mack collected her second career honorable mention honor. The Fremont, Calif., native carries a 3.44 cumulative GPA as a human physiology major. This season, she saw action in 94 of 110 total sets, finishing with 66.0 total blocks and 143 kills hitting .236. She recorded double-figure kills twice on the year, once at Seattle with 13 and again against Santa Clara with 10, and recorded at least 3.0 blocks 10 times on the season. Mack finished with 9.0 blocks at Pacific on Nov. 17, helping the Zags to a season-high 18.0 total blocks which ranks tied for ninth in program history for blocks in a five-set match during the rally scoring era.
 
Penner collected her second-straight All-Academic Honorable Mention honor after being selected to the same squad a year ago. The junior outside hitter carries a 3.42 cumulative GPA in business administration. On the court, Penner led the Zags in kills with 288 for a 2.80 per set average while adding 1.84 digs per set. The Sherwood, Ore., native finished with double-figures kills 17 times on the season with six games of double-figure digs, including a career-high 27 at San Francisco on Oct. 19. Penner added five double-doubles on the year, and finished second on the squad with 31 service aces.
 
In order to be considered for the WCC's All-Academic team, a student-athlete must: (1) Own a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average based on the most recently completed term at the time of the nomination; (2) Be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials; (3) Have at least sophomore athletic and academic standing with at least one year in residence completed at the nominating institution; (4) Participate in at least 50 percent of the institution's completed contests.
 
For the latest information on Gonzaga volleyball, visiting GoZags.com or follow the team on Twitter at @Zagsvball.
 
 
2019 WEST COAST CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

Name	School	Class	GPA	Major
Alexa Dreyer	Santa Clara	Sr.	3.54	MBA
*Kennedy Eschenberg	BYU	Jr.	3.82	Elementary Education
*Hannah Frohling	Pepperdine	Sr.	3.94	Sports Medicine
Chapin Gray	Gonzaga	Jr.	3.83	Psychology
Allison Kantor	Santa Clara	Jr.	3.79	Marketing
Kelsey Knudsen	Saint Mary's	Jr.	3.89	Business Administration
*Mary Lake	BYU	Sr.	3.68	Accounting
Riley Lyman	BYU	Sr.	3.89	Experience Design Managment
Gabriela Leo	Pacific	So.	3.70	Business Administration
Laura Madill	San Diego	So.	3.65	Industrial & Systems Engineering
Elizabeth Reich	Portland	Jr.	3.84	Environmental Ethics/German
Megan Rice	LMU	Jr.	3.87	Marketing
Michelle Shaffer	Santa Clara	So.	3.84	Undeclared Business
Madison Shields	Pepperdine	So.	3.97	Biology
Julia Talarico	Gonzaga	Jr.	3.85	Bio-Chemistry
Sienna Young	Saint Mary's	Sr.	3.73	Business Administration

 
*Indicates repeat first team honoree
 
HONORABLE MENTIONS
BYU: Kiani Moea'i
Gonzaga: Jenna Kuehn, Payton Mack, Sarah Penner
LMU: Tess Reid, Savannah Slattery
Pacific: Allison Dennemann, Jadyn Tubbs
Pepperdine: Alli O'Hara,
Portland: Grace Zilbert
Saint Mary's: Jennifer Laird, Aubrey Pitts
San Diego: Annie Benbow, Lauren Turner, Roxie Wiblin
San Francisco: Kate Ashman, Victoria Rogers, Sophie Sydenham, Moana To'oto'o, Ally Wada, Katie Wagstaff, Emily Zinger
Santa Clara: Lilliana Light, Gretchen Reinert