Aug. 25, 2007
Box Score
TAMPA, Florida - Middle blocker Angie Alvord (Jr., Laurel/Meridian) had a career-high 12 blocks, two short of the school record, and outside hitter Jaime Anderson (Sr., SeaTac/Mount Rainier) added a team-high 24 kills as nationally ranked Western Washington University prevailed 28-30, 30-26, 22-30, 30-25, 15-9 over NAIA powerhouse California Baptist University in final-day action Saturday at the University of Tampa Invitational Volleyball Tournament held at the Martinez Center.
The Vikings, rated No.23 in the CSTV American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll, evened their record at 2-2 in the season-opening tournament. They defeated Findlay OH, 3-1, on Thursday, but lost twice Friday, 3-2 to Colorado-Colorado Springs and 3-0 to No.1-rated and defending NCAA II champion Tampa.
"This team could easily have rolled over and died after yesterday, but they decided to change things this morning," said Western coach Diane Flick. "I know that we have a lot of work to do when we get home."
Cal Baptist, ranked No.3 nationally in the NAIA preseason poll, lost for the first time in three matches. The Lancers, who upset Tampa, 3-1, on Thursday, were NAIA national semifinalists last year after taking titles in 2004 and 2005.
Cal Baptist was led by the school-record 35 kills of two-time first-team All-American Verania Willis, who had a .391 attack percentage with 10 errors in 64 attempts. Willis was the NAIA National Player of the Year in 2005 and is a member of the defending Central America champion Costa Rica National Team.
Western also got 12 kills each from Marissa Hill (Jr., North Bend/Mount Si) and Emily Castro (Sr., Bellingham/Meridian), Hill having just one error in 17 attempts for a .647 attack percentage along with seven blocks. The Vikings' All-America libero Courtney Schneider (Sr., Snohomish) had 22 digs to put her career total at 1,936, 73 short of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference record.
Trailing 2 games to 1, Western never trailed in evening the match with a game four victory. That continued in the decisive game five as the Vikings went out to a 7-2 lead and never looked back in clinching the victory.
Neither team led by more than three points in game one, Cal Baptist prevailing by scoring three of the last four points. Western led 13-4 in game two and after the Lancers came back to within one, used a 9-4 run to even the match.
In game three, the Vikings were within two, 15-13, before Cal Baptist scored four straight points and pulled away for the win.
Western returns home for its own Viking Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Vikings will play Cal Poly Pomona (1 p.m.) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (7 p.m.) on the first day and meet No.3-ranked and defending California Collegiate Athletic Association champion Cal State San Bernardino (7 p.m.) to close out final-day action.
