Western’s Heilborn chosen conference’s Freshman of the Year

Former Raven star started all 28 matches in her first season with the playoff-bound Vikings

Western Washington University volleyball player Calley Heilborn has been selected as the Freshman of the Year for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Heilborn, a 6-foot-1 redshirt freshman outside hitter who starred at Auburn Riverside High School, helped the Vikings captured their third consecutive league championship.

Heilborn became the fifth player in program history to earn the Freshman of the Year award. She started all 28 matches in her first collegiate season, averaging 3.31 kills per set (sixth in GNAC) and 3.99 digs per set (seventh in the GNAC), both team-leading marks. She has also hit at a high percentage (.257, 14th in GNAC) and ranks sixth in the conference averaging 3.91 points per set (387.5 total points).

Senior middle blocker Kayleigh Harper was chosen the GNAC Player of the Year. Harper, a two-time All-American from Oak Harbor, joins an elite group of GNAC players to become a four-time First-Team All-GNAC selection.

The Vikings were announced as the No. 2 seed in the West Region for the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships, the eighth consecutive season and 14th overall to advance to the NCAA postseason. WWU finished the regular season 26-2 overall, 18-2 in GNAC play and are ranked No. 4 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll.