Sept. 26, 2009
Box Score
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University used a balanced attack to sweep University of Alaska Fairbanks, 25-18, 25-22, 25-21, on Saturday night in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.
The Vikings, who improved to 10-5 overall and 3-1 in GNAC play, got 10 kills each from middle blocker Emily Jepsen (So., Kennewick/Kamiakin) and outside hitter Marlayna Geary (Fr., Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep). Jepsen also had three blocks and Geary six digs and two blocks.
Kathryn Mertens (Jr., Olympia) had nine kills, six digs and two blocks for Western, Megan Amundson (Jr., Stanwood) eight kills and two blocks, and Bailey Jones (Fr., Mukilteo/Kamiak) added a match-high five blocks and five kills on .417 hitting.
UAF, which fell to 7-7 overall and 1-2 league, got a match-high 11 kills from Megan Thigpen, who also had eight digs. Melissa Refuerzo had 10 kills and 10 digs for the Nanooks.
Western hit .412 in the first set, closing it out with a 7-2 run as Jones and Mertens each had two kills.
In set two, the Vikings led by five points, 21-16, UAF narrowing it to 24-22 before Jepsen ended it with a kill.
Western took a 19-11 lead in the third set as Jepsen had two kills and three blocks during a 10-4 run. UAF never got closer than three, 24-21, Geary closing out the match with a kill.
WWU next travels to Seattle Pacific on Wednesday (7 p.m.) for a GNAC counter.
Vikings sweep Nanooks
JOE SUNNEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
BELLINGHAM - If there's one thing the Western Washington University volleyball team has learned about itself through the first 15 matches of the season is that there's going to be some bad that goes along with the good.
Two days after losing a disappointing five set match to Alaska Anchorage, Saturday's contest with Alaska Fairbanks was all about accentuating the positive.
Emily Jepsen and Marlayna Geary collected 10 kills each and Kathryn Mertens added nine more to help WWU sweep the Nanooks, 25-18, 25-22, 25-21, before a vocal crowd on Sept. 26 at Carver Gym in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
"Winning in three with authority is always nice," Jepsen said. "We knew this was a team that was going to stick around unless you made them back down. We went out and got it. Especially in that third game we just took it to them and that's exactly what our game plan was."
The Vikings (10-5, 3-1 GNAC) led by as much as 20-12 in that final game, before UAF (7-7, 1-2) started creeping back. The Nanooks closed to within 24-20 before Geary put the match away with a kill down the line.
"We had most of our pistons firing which is good," WWU coach Diane Flick said. "We had our outside hitters going, but our attacking on the right side with our middles and our opposite helped us open up the net a lot more. And our blocking really stepped in the middle of the second and the last game. I thought we played pretty good all the way around."
Western finished with 17 blocks including three solos. Bailey Jones had five blocks to pace the Vikings.
The Vikings next travel to conference leading Seattle Pacific University on Wednesday, Sept. 30, for a match that could have important implications as the season wears on. Their next home match is Oct. 3 against Central Washington.
The Vikings are hoping Saturday's match gives them a boost heading into their showdown with SPU.
"We just have to know that if we can make our bad days better then they are going to happen less and less," Flick said. "I know we're still going to have them. I'm far beyond thinking that they are all done."
