Sept. 6, 2008

Box Score

SEASIDE, Calif. - Outside hitter Shanley Besett (Sr., University Place/Curtis) had 23 kills as the Western Washington University volleyball team posted a pair of sweeps in final-day action Saturday at the Cal State Monterey Bay Otter Invitational, defeating Eastern New Mexico 25-18, 25-10, 25-19 and William Jessup CA, 25-11, 25-5, 25-12.

The Vikings, ranked No.9 in the latest CBS College Sports Network/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Top 25 Poll, improved to 4-0. It is their first 4-0 start since 1996.

Western has won 12 straight sets since a first-set loss in a 3-1 season-opening victory over Cal State Stanislaus on Friday. They swept the host Otters later that day.

"It was nice to come out of here with four wins," said Western coach Diane Flick. "It's the best start since I've been here ... We learned a lot about what we need to work on."

Besett had a match-high 12 kills with a .500 attack percentage and Allison Gotz (So., Bothell/Archbishop Murphy) had a match-high 21 digs. The Vikings, who did not trail in any set, hit .389 as a team, while holding William Jessup to minus-.136.

Megan Amundson (So., Stanwood) had six kills in seven attempts for a .857 hitting percentage

Besett and Amundson each had a match-high 11 kills and attack percentages of .476 and .375, respectively, in the sweep of Eastern New Mexico.

Western's Tiana Roma (Sr., Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway) had nine kills and four blocks, Angie Alvord (Sr., Laurel/Meridian) eight kills and a match-high five service aces and Gotz had a match-high 31 digs.

The first set was tied at 10 before Western pulled away with a 15-8 run. The Vikings scored 18 of the first 24 points in set two and finished the match with a 10-5 run after Eastern New Mexico has gotten to within one, 15-14.

The Vikings next compete at the University of Minnesota Duluth Classic on Sept. 12-13.