Weber State football placed 11 players and volleyball three to the season-end, All-Big Sky Conference teams, as voted by head coaches and released by the league office this week.

WSU volleyball’s Makayla Sorenson was the lone individual award winner for either sport, being named the Big Sky’s libero of the year while being placed on the all-conference second team.

Despite leading the conference in tackles by a substantial margin, both overall and through conference games, WSU senior linebacker Winston Reid did not win Big Sky football defensive player of the year.

Montana nearly swept the individual awards, with UC Davis running back Lan Larison winning offensive player of the year. Montana defensive tackle Alex Gubner is defensive player of the year, quarterback Clifton McDowell the newcomer of the year, running back Eli Gilman freshman player of the year, and Bobby Hauck coach of the year.

Senior offensive lineman Noah Atagi was voted to the all-conference first team for Weber State, with Reid, sophomore linebacker Jack Kelly and senior cornerback Maxwell Anderson also earning first-team defense honors. Abraham Williams, second nationally in kick-return average, was named first-team kick returner.

Despite his conference-best 118 total tackles and 10.7 per game (both 11th nationally), Reid was also not unanimously voted as a first-team player — though he is a finalist for the Buck Buchanan award, given to the best defensive player in FCS.

Kelly, who stood to return next season as the best playmaking defender in the Big Sky, announced this week his intention to leave Weber State and enter the transfer portal.

Senior tight end Hayden Meacham, senior offensive tackle Jordan Lutui and sophomore defensive end Brayden Wilson were voted to all-conference second-team honors.

Senior safety Naseme Colvin, senior punt returner Haze Hadley and junior punter Jack Burgess all received honorable mentions — though Burgess was second nationally in punt average.

In volleyball, senior outside hitter Dani Richins and junior setter Kate Standifird were voted to the all-Big Sky first team with Sorensen on the second team.

Sacramento State’s Bridgette Smith was voted the unanimous MVP from the first-place Hornets, which WSU ousted in the Big Sky tournament semifinals, and Sac State coach Ruben Volta was named coach of the year.

JONES AGAIN PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Weber State’s star forward Dillon Jones was named the Big Sky men’s basketball player of the week for the second of this season’s two weeks for his three-game performance at the Atlantic Slam.

Jones averaged 18.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in the event, including a 17-point, 15-rebound game to defeat Yale.

After his season title in the stat last season, Jones again leads the country in defensive rebounds per game so far this season with 11.4 per game.

This is Jones’ 10th career Big Sky player of the week honor.

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