Northwest Notes May 1, 2021

| May 1, 2021 1:05 AM

Idaho's Coffey semifinalist for FCS Punter of the Year Award

Idaho senior punter Cade Coffey has been selected as a semifinalist for the Punter of the Year Award, presented by the Augusta Sports Council annually to the top punter in FCS.

Coffey, from Lakeland High, averaged 45.8 yards per punt on the season and dropped 16 of 26 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. His net average of nearly 44.0 yards per punt was also among the best in the nation and was the second best average in program history.

Coffey was the fourth consecutive Idaho punter to earn All-America honors, doing so in both 2017 and 2018. He leaves the program in third in punting yards and punting average. His 218 punts were the fifth most.

Coffey earned All-Big Sky second-team honors as a punter in 2021 and honorable mention as a kicker.

Zag women add Syracuse transfer

SPOKANE – Maud Huijbens, a 6-5 forward and a transfer from Syracuse, signed a financial aid agreement at Gonzaga University and will join the women’s basketball team for the 2021-22 season.

She will be immediately eligible to play for the 2021-22 season due to the new uniform one-time transfer rule that went into effect April 28 of this year.

“We are really excited to add Maud to our team,” Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said. “She is extremely versatile as a post player, and can score around the basket and from the perimeter. She runs the floor very well and has been a leader for years on her national teams.”

Huijbens, who will arrive at Gonzaga as a freshman with four years of eligibility remaining, battled injury in her first season at Syracuse and saw action in a single game against Miami on Jan. 17. Prior to arriving at Syracuse, Huijbens was the No. 12-ranked post player in the class of 2020. A long-time member of the Netherlands national team, she averaged 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists at the U18 Women’s European Championship in Skopje (Division B). The Hilversum, Netherlands, native also participated in Basketball Without Borders, organized by FIBA and the NBA.