Halatoa, Pena, and Tijerina Earn All-GAC Honors
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On the eve of the Great American Conference Volleyball Championships, the league announced its 2025 All-Conference awards and end-of-year honors. East Central University represented well, with
Faiana Halatoa,
Emily Pena, and
Valentina Tijerina each earning All-GAC Honorable Mention recognition.
Nominations were submitted and voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
All three Tigers earned their first career GAC honor after playing pivotal roles throughout the season and helping ECU secure the No. 6 seed in this year's GAC Championship Tournament.
Halatoa has been a standout presence on the attack, recording 238 kills and averaging 2.43 per set across 27 matches. She also strengthened ECU's defense with 184 digs and 40 blocks, showcasing her impact on both sides of the ball.
Pena has orchestrated the Tigers' offense all season, tallying 562 assists for an average of 6.53 per set, ranking her fifth in the GAC. Her all-around play includes 191 digs, six double-doubles, 42 kills, and 22 service aces, highlighting her versatility.
Tijerina anchored the back row in her second season as libero, posting 454 digs and averaging 4.28 per set to rank seventh in the conference. She added 27 service aces and 85 assists and was recently recognized as a Defensive Player of the Week for a strong senior campaign.
ECU also shined academically, as
Seran Eran,
Peyton Spahn, and
Valentina Tijerina were named to the GAC Academic Honor Roll for their excellence in the classroom.
The ECU volleyball team will take on No. 3 Southwestern Oklahoma State University tomorrow at 10 am in the first round of the GAC Volleyball Championship Quarterfinal in Shawnee, OK.
