Pulley and Duren grab MVP spots, four other Bears named to Big Sky All-Conference Teams

FARMINGTON, Utah – Following its first regular-season Big Sky title since 2011 and first-ever outright title since joining the conference in 2006, the conference has named six Northern Colorado players to 2021 All-Conference teams.

Led by Offensive MVP Lexi Pulley (1^st Team) and Defensive MVP Maddie Duren (1^st Team), Taylor Bray (1^st Team), Olivia Seddon (1^st Team), Erika Hall (2nd Team) and Lucy Hart (Honorable Mention) were also honored.

Pulley has been downright unstoppable in front of goal this season for the Bears. The Laramie, Wyoming native's eight goals were good enough to edge out Taylor Bray for the conference's Golden Boot award. In total, Pulley has bagged 12 goals entering the Big Sky Tournament, by far the most in the conference and the 18^th most in the nation. Her 19 points are also four more than Bray as the two are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the Big Sky, respectively.

Defensive MVP Maddie Duren has been the glue for UNC's sturdy back line. The captain of the defense, Duren has logged more than 1,700 minutes at center back this season and has played every minute of 13 games this fall. The Highlands Ranch, Colorado native also netted a goal in the Bears' 4-1 victory over Portland State on October 1.

Taylor Bray nearly ran down Pulley for the Golden Boot Award. Bray finished with seven conference goals on the season, one behind Pulley. Her 15 points were also second-best in the Big Sky as the senior from Ukiah California provided great strength, speed and accuracy up front this season, starting in 18 of the 19 contests.

Graduate Olivia Seddon rounded out Northern Colorado's First Team selections. A two-time Second Team member, the honor is Seddon's first appearance on the All-Conference First Team. Seddon started all 19 regular-season matches in 2021, logging over 1,100 minutes. The Chino Hills, California native picked up steam when it mattered most. Seddon grabbed three goals and four assists over UNC's last nine games out of the midfield.

A staple at center back for the last four years, Erika Hall is as solid as they come. This is Hall's first appearance on the All-Conference team. Hall played in 17 games in 2021, starting in 16 and logged more than 1,200 minutes. Hall also secured a crucial assist in UNC's 2-0 win over Northern Arizona in September.

Rounding out Northern Colorado's selections is freshman defender Lucy Hart. Thrust into the lineup due to injury, Hart has more than met expectations at outside back. Hart's seemingly endless motor and willingness to press forward has caused opponents problems on both ends of the pitch. Three times this season, Hart has played every minute of the match. The Colorado Springs native also provided her first career assist as the Bears clinched the regular-season title with a resounding 7-2 victory over Idaho State.

The full All-Conference list is below:

Offensive MVP: Lexi Pulley, Northern Colorado
Defensive MVP: Maddie Duren, Northern Colorado
Goalkeeper: Camellia Xu, Montana
Golden Boot: Lexi Pulley, Northern Colorado
Top Newcomer: Morgan Furmaniak, Weber State

All-Conference First Team
Forwards
Lexi Pulley, Northern Colorado
Taylor Bray, Northern Colorado
Taylor Stoeger, Montana

Midfielders
Olivia Seddon, Northern Colorado
Madison Kem, Eastern Washington
Sadie Newson, Weber State
Jasmyne Dunn, Sacramento State

Defenders
Maddie Duren, Northern Colorado
Aubrey Goodwill, Sacramento State
Taylor Hansen, Montana
Caitlin Rogers, Montana

Goalie
Camellia Xu, Montana

All-Conference Second Team
Forwards
Abigail Lopez, Sacramento State
Danna Restom, Sacramento State
Sam Larberg, Northern Arizona

Midfielders
Taylor Slack, Weber State
Sydney Haustein, Montana
Julia Herrera, Sacramento State
Mikhail Johnson, Northern Arizona

Defenders
Erika Hall, Northern Colorado
Olivia Tucker, Weber State
Taylor Brust, Idaho
Jordyn King, Eastern Washington

Goalie
Kelsee Winston, Eastern Washington

All-Conference Honorable Mention
Forwards
Madison Montgomery, Northern Arizona
Jadyn Hanks, Idaho
Gabby Warta, Idaho State

Midfielders
Samantha Craig, Sacramento State
Kamryn Farro, Southern Utah
Lucy Quinn, Portland State
Sienna Higinbotham, Portland State
Shay Valenzano, Sacramento State

Defenders
Jessica Mann, Sacramento State
Abby Donathan, Northern Arizona
Allie Larsen, Montana
Mya Elder-Hammond, Eastern Washington
Lucy Hart, Northern Colorado
Hailey Price, Weber State

Goalie
Mekell Moss, Weber State
Avrie Fox, Idaho

Northern Colorado begins its quest for a third Big Sky Tournament title on Friday, November 5, against the winner of Weber State and Idaho. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. MT.

To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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Taylor Bray

Maddie Duren

Erika Hall

Lucy Hart

Lexi Pulley

Olivia Seddon

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