By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University volleyball players Jennifer Lane (Jr., MH/OH, Salinas, CA/Notre Dame HS) and Jaiden Mason (So., S/OPP, Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Christian School) have been chosen for Honorable Mention recognition on the 2018 All-Northwest Conference Volleyball Team. A total of 20 athletes from the nine conference teams were chosen for All-NWC recognition.
The Bearcats ended the season with a 10-15 overall record and a 7-9 record in the NWC. Lane topped Willamette's offensive chart with a .263 hitting percentage. She also led the Bearcats with 0.79 blocks per set. Mason ranked first on the team with 7.21 assists per set. She was the only Bearcat to start all 25 matches and play in all 91 sets.
Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference
Jennifer Lane (Jr., MH/OH) was named Honorable Mention All-NWC for the first time. She earned nine or more kills 10 times and committed three or fewer attacking errors in 20 of 25 matches. Her .263 hitting percentage ranked fifth in the NWC. She was second on Willamette's roster with 173 kills. She registered 10 block solos and 58 block assists for 68 total blocks during the season .
In three years at Willamette, Lane has played in 71 matches and 233 sets. She has amassed 415 career kills and 1,224 career attacks, while recording a .176 hitting percentage. She has averaged 0.60 blocks per set during her career while accumulating 139 total blocks.
She pounded out a career-high 15 kills against Linfield College on Sept. 14, 2016 and matched that total versus University of Puget Sound on Nov. 5, 2016. She provided WU with a career-high nine blocks against Pacific University this year on Oct. 26.
"It's great for Jen," Willamette Head Coach Tom Shoji said. "We really depended on her throughout the season, and she got better as the season progressed. She was very tough to stop and put up a nice block. She'll get even better in the future."
Jaiden Mason (So., S/OPP) was selected Honorable Mention All-NWC for the second year in a row. This year, she led the Bearcats and was third in the NWC with 656 assists. For the Bearcats, she was second with 236 kills (2.59 avg.) and 43 total blocks (0.47 avg.). She earned 91 kills for 1.00 kills per set. She also contributed 21 service aces (0.23 avg).
Her career statistics in two season at Willamette are outstanding. She has earned 256 kills to go along with 1,052 assists (6.07 avg.), 44 service aces (0.25 avg.), 502 digs (2.87 avg.) and 83 total blocks (0.47 avg.). She has played in all 49 matches and all 175 sets.
This year she was credited with 14 double-doubles, giving her 22 matches with two stats in double-digits during her career. She set a career high with 14 kills against Whitman College on Oct. 20, 2017. Her career high for assists was set this season on Oct. 13, when she registered 46 assists versus Whitman. She also had a career-high four service aces in that match. She recorded a career-high five blocks in a match three times this fall.
