VB | Laird Named First-Team All-WCC, Three Gaels Land Postseason Honors
11/29/2021 2:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN MATEO, Calif. — The awards keep coming for Jennifer "Boo" Laird, capping off what was an historic 2021 season. On Monday afternoon, after being named the Bay Alarm Student-Athlete of the Week, Laird was named All-WCC First Team for the first time in her career. She joins Kelsey Knudsen and Kristen Erland as Gaels to take home some postseason recognition following the completion of the indoor season last week.
HERE COMES THE BOO(M)
No Gael has ever had a better hitting percentage than the .361 clip put up by Laird during the 2021 season. She entered Tuesday's finale just shy of setting the program record, and then used a strong eight-kill performance without any errors to put her over the edge and set the Gaels record. Laird set career-bests this season with 166 kills, 24 aces, 16 solo blocks, and 95 block assists. She finishes the regular season ranked third in the WCC in blocks per set (1.11), fourth in hitting percentage (best non-BYU player), and 23rd in aces. Laird recorded at least three blocks in all but five matches this year, including five matches with at least seven blocks. This is the second postseason award for Laird in her indoor career, after being named All-WCC honorable mention in the spring of 2021.
KELSEY KEEPS GOING
After sitting out the 2021 spring season due to injury, the return of Kelsey Knudsen was a welcomed sight for the Gaels in the traditional 2021 season. Knudsen reclaimed her role of starting libero and was an anchor for the SMC defense all season long, finishing with a career-best 295 digs, which ranks as the sixth-most in the West Coast Conference. Her 3.28 digs per set was good for fifth best in the WCC, and she steadily got better as the season wore on. 15 times she recorded at least 10 digs, including 10 times in conference games. She was just one dig off of her career-best on November 18 against San Diego with 21, and she put up four aces in a sweep of Loyola Marymount on November 6, which was a career-best mark. This was the first time Knudsen earns All-WCC honors, landing on the honorable mention list.
KRISTEN THE KILLAH
The only freshman on this year's team to play every match, Kristen Erland was an obvious choice for the All-WCC Freshman Team. Behind the outside hitters, Erland was the top attacker on this year's squad, finishing third on the Gaels in kills with 174 and recording 1.83 kills per match. She was also very strong at the net, finishing third on the team with 63 total blocks. Erland saved her best performances of the year for conference play, where she recorded five of her six 10+ kill performances, including a career-best 12 against Santa Clara on September 28. She also put up the eighth most solo blocks in a match in SMC history with four against San Francisco on October 21. She is the first All-Freshman Gael since Lindsey Knudsen in 2015.
REST OF THE WINNERS
WCC Coach of the Year
Heather Olmsted, BYU
WCC Player of the Year
Kenzie Koerber, BYU, Sr., OH
WCC Setter of the Year
Whitney Bower, BYU, Jr.
WCC Libero of the Year
Jadyn Tubbs, Pacific, Sr.
WCC Freshman of the Year
Grace Chillingworth, Pepperdine, OH
First Team
Rachel Ahrens, Pepperdine, Sr., OH
Taylen Ballard-Nixon, BYU, Sr., OH
Annie Benbow, San Diego, Sr., LB
Leyla Blackwell, San Diego, So., MH
Whitney Bower, BYU, Jr., S
Alexa Edwards, Pacific, So., OH
Kennedy Eschenberg, BYU, Sr., MB
Grace Frohling, San Diego, So., RS
Heather Gneiting, BYU, Jr., MB
Kenzie Koerber, BYU, Sr., OH
Jennifer "Boo" Laird, Saint Mary's, Sr., MB
Katie Lukes, San Diego, Sr., OH
Megan Rice, LMU, Sr., OH
Julia Sangiacomo, Santa Clara, Jr., OH
Jadyn Tubbs, Pacific, Sr., LB
Isabel Zelaya, Pepperdine, Jr., S
Second Team
Isabella Bareford, LMU, Fr., S
Meg Brown, Pepperdine, So., MB
Kari Geissberger, LMU, Fr., OH
Erin Livingston, BYU, So., OH
Michelle Shaffer, Santa Clara, Sr., OPP
Madison Shields, Pepperdine, Sr., LB
Honorable Mention
Madi Allen, BYU, So., LB
Grace Chillingworth, Pepperdine, Fr., OH
Ramonni Cook, Pacific, So., OPP
Kennedy Croft, Gonzaga, Jr., OH
Jayde Harris, Portland, Jr., OH
Audrey Klemp, LMU, Fr., OPP
Kelsey Knudsen, Saint Mary's, Sr., DS
Darina Kumanova, Pacific, So., OH
Cara McKenzie, Gonzaga, Sr., MB
Kylie Pries, San Diego, So., OH
All-WCC Freshman Team
Grace Chillingworth, Pepperdine, OH
Kristen Erland, Saint Mary's, MB
Jenna Heller, Pacific, S
Jacquelyn Moore, LMU, MB
Haylee Stoner, San Diego, MH
Nive Tuileta, Santa Clara, S
Emily Wilson, San Diego, OH
#GaelsRise
HERE COMES THE BOO(M)
No Gael has ever had a better hitting percentage than the .361 clip put up by Laird during the 2021 season. She entered Tuesday's finale just shy of setting the program record, and then used a strong eight-kill performance without any errors to put her over the edge and set the Gaels record. Laird set career-bests this season with 166 kills, 24 aces, 16 solo blocks, and 95 block assists. She finishes the regular season ranked third in the WCC in blocks per set (1.11), fourth in hitting percentage (best non-BYU player), and 23rd in aces. Laird recorded at least three blocks in all but five matches this year, including five matches with at least seven blocks. This is the second postseason award for Laird in her indoor career, after being named All-WCC honorable mention in the spring of 2021.
KELSEY KEEPS GOING
After sitting out the 2021 spring season due to injury, the return of Kelsey Knudsen was a welcomed sight for the Gaels in the traditional 2021 season. Knudsen reclaimed her role of starting libero and was an anchor for the SMC defense all season long, finishing with a career-best 295 digs, which ranks as the sixth-most in the West Coast Conference. Her 3.28 digs per set was good for fifth best in the WCC, and she steadily got better as the season wore on. 15 times she recorded at least 10 digs, including 10 times in conference games. She was just one dig off of her career-best on November 18 against San Diego with 21, and she put up four aces in a sweep of Loyola Marymount on November 6, which was a career-best mark. This was the first time Knudsen earns All-WCC honors, landing on the honorable mention list.
KRISTEN THE KILLAH
The only freshman on this year's team to play every match, Kristen Erland was an obvious choice for the All-WCC Freshman Team. Behind the outside hitters, Erland was the top attacker on this year's squad, finishing third on the Gaels in kills with 174 and recording 1.83 kills per match. She was also very strong at the net, finishing third on the team with 63 total blocks. Erland saved her best performances of the year for conference play, where she recorded five of her six 10+ kill performances, including a career-best 12 against Santa Clara on September 28. She also put up the eighth most solo blocks in a match in SMC history with four against San Francisco on October 21. She is the first All-Freshman Gael since Lindsey Knudsen in 2015.
REST OF THE WINNERS
WCC Coach of the Year
Heather Olmsted, BYU
WCC Player of the Year
Kenzie Koerber, BYU, Sr., OH
WCC Setter of the Year
Whitney Bower, BYU, Jr.
WCC Libero of the Year
Jadyn Tubbs, Pacific, Sr.
WCC Freshman of the Year
Grace Chillingworth, Pepperdine, OH
First Team
Rachel Ahrens, Pepperdine, Sr., OH
Taylen Ballard-Nixon, BYU, Sr., OH
Annie Benbow, San Diego, Sr., LB
Leyla Blackwell, San Diego, So., MH
Whitney Bower, BYU, Jr., S
Alexa Edwards, Pacific, So., OH
Kennedy Eschenberg, BYU, Sr., MB
Grace Frohling, San Diego, So., RS
Heather Gneiting, BYU, Jr., MB
Kenzie Koerber, BYU, Sr., OH
Jennifer "Boo" Laird, Saint Mary's, Sr., MB
Katie Lukes, San Diego, Sr., OH
Megan Rice, LMU, Sr., OH
Julia Sangiacomo, Santa Clara, Jr., OH
Jadyn Tubbs, Pacific, Sr., LB
Isabel Zelaya, Pepperdine, Jr., S
Second Team
Isabella Bareford, LMU, Fr., S
Meg Brown, Pepperdine, So., MB
Kari Geissberger, LMU, Fr., OH
Erin Livingston, BYU, So., OH
Michelle Shaffer, Santa Clara, Sr., OPP
Madison Shields, Pepperdine, Sr., LB
Honorable Mention
Madi Allen, BYU, So., LB
Grace Chillingworth, Pepperdine, Fr., OH
Ramonni Cook, Pacific, So., OPP
Kennedy Croft, Gonzaga, Jr., OH
Jayde Harris, Portland, Jr., OH
Audrey Klemp, LMU, Fr., OPP
Kelsey Knudsen, Saint Mary's, Sr., DS
Darina Kumanova, Pacific, So., OH
Cara McKenzie, Gonzaga, Sr., MB
Kylie Pries, San Diego, So., OH
All-WCC Freshman Team
Grace Chillingworth, Pepperdine, OH
Kristen Erland, Saint Mary's, MB
Jenna Heller, Pacific, S
Jacquelyn Moore, LMU, MB
Haylee Stoner, San Diego, MH
Nive Tuileta, Santa Clara, S
Emily Wilson, San Diego, OH
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
OPP
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