Oct. 27, 2005
Box Score
SEATTLE, Wash. - With all of the first four games decided by three or fewer points, Western Washington University fell to nationally ranked Seattle Pacific University, 27-30, 30-28, 27-30, 30-27, 15-10, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match Thursday at Royal Brougham Pavilion.
The Vikings, who dropped to 13-9 overall and 8-5 in conference play, were led by the 19 kills of middle blocker Tiana Roma (R-Fr., Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway). Libero Courtney Schneider (So., Snohomish) had a match-high 45 digs, one short of her school record and two shy of the GNAC mark.
Seattle Pacific, ranked No.18 in the latest AVCA/NCAA Division II Coaches Poll, won its seventh straight match, improving to 18-5 overall and 12-2 in league action. All six of its previous wins had been sweeps.
"We keep knocking on the door, but we just can't seem to bust through it," said Western coach Diane Flick, whose Vikings have lost three of their last five matches, two of them to nationally ranked teams.
"We've just had so many close games where we've failed to seal the deal and we weren't quite able to do it again, but we'll just keep on working on it."
In the fifth and deciding game, Western led 5-4 and was within two at 9-7, but Seattle Pacific scored six of the last nine points for the victory.
The Falcons were led by Rachel Biornstad, who had a match-high 25 kills in 43 attempts with just two errors for a .535 attack percentage. Three Seattle Pacific players had double-digit kills and digs. They were Alyssa Given, 16 kills and 15 digs, Angie Wodrich, 12 kills and 22 digs, and Chelsey Myers, 17 kills and 13 digs.
Outside hitter Siri Wuotila (So., Seattle/Highline) had 15 kills and 21 digs for Western, and right-side hitter Sarah Primrose (Fr., Issaquah) added 13 kills, eight digs and four blocks.
After the Falcons scored the first five points in game one, Western came back to lead 17-16 and never trailed again. The Vikings led 28-26 in game two, only to have Seattle Pacific score the last four points for the win.
Western outscored the Falcons 7-2 for a 26-20 lead in taking game three, but Seattle Pacific came back with a 6-2 run for a 29-24 advantage in winning game four.
The Vikings had beaten Seattle Pacific, 3-1, in their first meeting at Bellingham.
Western is at Northwest Nazarene University for a league counter Saturday (6 p.m.).
