BURNABY, B.C. -- The two stars who connected most often on Simon Fraser's offensive attack have earned regional recognition for their outstanding play this season.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association selected Brooke Dexter as the West Region Freshman of the Year. It is the first time an SFU player has won this award since the program became part of the NCAA. Dexter joined teammate Julia Tays on the AVCA Division II All-West Region Team. It is the debut appearance on this squad for both. 

The Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) honoured Dexter with a place on its 2021 Volleyball All-West Region Second Team.

Dexter has had an incredible freshman campaign for Simon Fraser. The opposite from Anchorage, Alaska, leads the team in kills per set (4.08) and points per set (4.62) and is second in total aces with 24. She was named the 2021 Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the All-Conference First Team. Dexter has also merited AVCA Div. II Player of the Week (Sept. 7) and GNAC Player of the Week (Aug. 30-Sept. 5) recognition. She's a member of the 2021 GNAC Volleyball All-Academic Team.

Tays, a setter from Winnipeg, is one of the best to ever wear an SFU jersey. She is the school's NCAA-era leader in assists with 3,854 so far, and has made the GNAC All-Conference First Team twice, in 2019 and 2021. Tays was also a 2018 GNAC All-Conference Team Honorable Mention. Twice this season, the senior was the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 18-24 and Nov. 1-7). She's currently 11th in NCAA Div. II volleyball with 11.14 assists per set, and leads SFU with 25 aces. Tays has earned a place on the GNAC All-Academic Team three times.
 

The 2021 season marks the first time SFU has had two AVCA All-Region players in the same season.

Libero Alison McKay is the only other member of Simon Fraser volleyball to be named All-Region by the AVCA (2016). She was an AVCA Third-Team All-American that season.

Middle blocker, and current assistant coach, Tessa May was an AVCA All-Region and All-America Honorable Mention in 2017 and 2018.

Prior to today, McKay was also the only SFU player to get All-Region status from the D2CCA. She made the first team in 2016, the same season she was an All-American honorable mention.

Simon Fraser (17-8) will play its first contest at the NCAA Div. II tournament tomorrow in San Bernardino, California. Seeded seventh in the West Region, the team will contest a quarter-final matchup against fellow GNAC foe Western Washington, the No. 2 seed, at 2:30 p.m.

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