Dec. 3, 2016 -- An Epic Day in GNAC History

WWU celebrates its national championship. 

Yes, not hyperbole, not by a long shot.

The accompanying photos tell the story.

At about 5 p.m. Central time, the Western Washington women's soccer team capped an unbeaten (24-0-1) campaign by defeating three-time defending national champion Grand Valley State 3-2 to secure the 2016 NCAA title. It was the fourth national crown in conference history (and the 10th NCAA title in WWU history).

I was thankful to be in Kansas City to witness this heavyweight match from the WWU sideline where I saw three fantastic goals -- two by Caitlyn Jobanek (left-footed rockets from the top right side of the box) and another strike off a free kick by Emily Webster (the game-winner!).

Next stop for UAA: the Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Hours later (three time zones away) it was Alaska Anchorage's turn. Inside an electric Alaska Airlines Center, in front of the second-largest crowd (2,710) for a Division II volleyball match since the 2013 season, the top-seeded Seawolves survived a huge scare (West Region Player of the Year Morgan Hooe left Set 1 with an injury only to return in Set 2) to defeat arch-rival Western Washington for the regional crown and UAA's first berth in the Elite Eight (hello, Sioux Falls!).

Two fantastic celebrations -- separated by a few hours and thousands of miles.