Oct. 31, 2009

Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Outside hitter Marlayna Geary (Fr., Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep) had a team-high 17 kills and added 19 digs, but Western Washington University still suffered its second straight loss, falling to Seattle Pacific University, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17, 26-24, on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

The Vikings fell to 15-9 overall and are 8-5 in the GNAC. Middle blocker Emily Jepsen (So., Kennewick/Kamiakin) added 16 kills for Western.

Outside hitter Sarah Risser had 17 kills and 12 digs to lead Seattle Pacific, which improved to 15-9 overall and 9-3 in league play

The final set was the most dramatic. Seattle Pacific seemed in control and ready to close out the match, holding a 20-14 lead. Western stormed back with six straight points to tie the frame, then took a 24-22 lead on back-to-back kills by Geary. But the Falcons recovered with four straight points, closing out the match on a Risser kill when a Western blocker was ruled to be in the net.

Western won only the second set. Geary and Jepsen each had seven kills without an error in the frame, as the Vikings jumped to an 8-4 lead and never led by less than three points after that.

Seattle Pacific claimed the first and third sets with big runs early in each frame. The Falcons used an 8-1 run to take a 15-9 lead and control of the first set, and in the third set jumped to a 7-1 lead with Western never got closer than five points after that.

The Vikings next go on the road to meet Northwest Nazarene on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Central Washington on Saturday (7 p.m.) in a pair of GNAC counters.

Vikings fall in four to Seattle Pacific

Michelle Nolan, THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Western Washington University took only one of seven sets in losing both matches to second-place Seattle Pacific this season, but that dramatic set provided fans with plenty of reason to dream.

Coming off a loss to conference-leading Alaska-Anchorage, the young Vikings gave SPU a far better battle in their GNAC rematch before the Falcons prevailed 25-17, 18-25, 25-17, 26-24 on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Carver Gym.

Without a senior, Western fell to 15-9 overall and 8-5 in the GNAC, but the Vikings showed the feisty nature they displayed while posing for an imaginative Halloween photo a day earlier.

With only three matches remaining, the Vikings will need a minor miracle to catch SPU (15-9, 9-3), much less Alaska Anchorage,which came into the weekend 18-7 and 10-2.

Power-hitting Western freshman Marlayna Geary and sophomore Emily Jepsen could not have been much more impressive in the second set while combining for 14 kills in 21 attempts without a single error. The team took full advantage of freshman setter Laurie Yearout's 18 assists and junior libero Alison Gotz's 11 digs in that 25-18 set victory.

"We had some good moments, and it showed the things we can do," said Western coach Diane Flick, who felt this match was a significant improvement over SPU's 3-0 dominance a month earlier in Seattle "We just have to learn how to sustain (the excellence and intensity). It's hard to simulate those situations in practice."

For the entire match the high-leaping 5-foot-10 Geary lived up to her nickname, "Thunder," by tying for the match high with 17 kills and Jepsen had 16. Geary also contributed 19 digs - she came in averaging 10 per match - in a remarkable display of potential. Gotz finished with 29 digs in a typically outstanding effort and junior Jordan Bailey had 16 digs.

Western junior Megan Amundson (six kills, seven digs) and freshman Bailey Jones and junior Kathryn Mertens, who combined for 14 kills, also made significant contributions.

"That's the best I've seen us fight back," said Jepsen, referring to Western's rally in the last game. The Vikings trailed 20-14 and claimed a 24-22 lead before the Falcons scored the final four points, with three on kills and the winning point on an anticlimactic net violation call.

"If this was the end for some people, I don't know if I could handle it," said Jepsen, referring to how close the young Vikings have become and how much she's looking forward to everyone's return. "We have an awesome offense in general."

"We'll have all 14 players back next season," said Flick, pointing out the team can aspire to great things,"If we can keep everything in the right perspective."

SPU had just enough more consistency to pull through, hitting at a percentage of .254 to Western's .217, as Sarah Risser, Priscilla Collings and Mount Vernon graduate Amber Johnson combined for 42 kills. The Falcons also matched the Vikings in hustle with 85 digs, led by Anna Herold's 21 and Collings' 19.

Western, which would have to win the GNAC title to get into the postseason, plays at Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 5 and at Central Washington on Nov. 7 before the Vikings finish with a home match against Montana State Billings on Nov. 14.