Nov. 11, 2010

Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Outside hitter Marlayna Geary (So., Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep) had a team-high 12 kills, seven in the final set as nationally ranked Western Washington University defeated arch-rival Central Washington University, 25-19, 25-21, 25-16, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match Thursday at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus.

The Vikings, ranked No.15 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll and No.3 in the West Region, improved to 18-3 overall and moved into a tie for first place in the GNAC with idle Seattle Pacific at 15-2.

Central slipped to 13-10 overall and 11-7 in GNAC play. Kady Try led the Wildcats, who had won four of their last five matches, with a match-high 13 kills. Meg Ryan added 11 kills and 15 digs.

The Vikings trailed 13-12 in the opening set, but ran off seven straight points, three of them on service aces by Emily Jepsen (Jr., Kennewick/Kamiakin), and never led by less than four points after that.

Western took the lead in the second frame for good at 6-5, but was still up by just one at 17-16, but scored the next three points to take control.

The final set was also close early, with the Vikings never up by more than three points until they used a run of seven points that included three straight points by Geary on two kills and a solo block, essentially putting the match away.

Outside hitter Megan Amundson (Sr., Stanwood) had 11 kills for Western, Jepsen had match-highs of five aces and six blocks, and libero Allison Gotz (Sr., Bothell/Archbishop Murphy) had a match-high 25 digs.

Western has won all eight of its home matches this season via sweeps, and is 96-11 (.897) at home since going to a Sport Court surface in 2000.

The Vikings, already assured of a berth in the NCAA Division II West Regional, close out their regular season Saturday (7 p.m.), entertaining Northwest Nazarene in a GNAC counter.

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL: Vikings earn home sweep over Wildcats

MICHELLE NOLAN / THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

BELLINGHAM - There will doubtless be a world of emotion at Carver Gym in Western Washington University's last home volleyball match, but there seems little likelihood of much panic.

Coach Diane Flick of the nationally 15th ranked Vikings saw her five starting seniors all display poise and polish in the last half of each tight game to sweep Central Washington 25-19, 25-21, 25-16 on Thursday, Nov. 11.

If the Vikings (18-3, 15-2 GNAC) can beat Northwest Nazarene (7-16, 7-10) in the seniors' final home match on Saturday at 7 p.m., Western would earn no worse than a share of the title with Seattle Pacific (23-2, 15-2), which finishes the same night at Montana State Billings.

On Sunday evening, the Vikings seem likely to be named to their first NCAA II West Regional since 2007, the year the Vikings finished as national runner-up. The eight regionals will be Nov. 18-20, with the winners moving on to the national finals Dec. 2-4 in Louisville, Ky.

"We've been facing some of these emotions all week," said Flick, whose team will be bidding for at least a share of her fifth title since the GNAC was formed in 2001. "I told them that whatever emotion you have, show it, because you've earned it."

Western's experience showed in the late stages of each game. The Vikings trailed in the first, 13-12; led in the second, 17-15; and were tied in the third, 12-12.

The combined scores from that point on in the three games showed just how much the entire team has learned not to panic: Western dominated in the clutch, 31-14.

"In the past (seasons) we would sometimes panic in those situations," said Flick, indicating how proud she is of her team's maturity. Other than the Vikings' 3-1 loss Nov. 4 at Seattle Pacific, giving the teams a split, Western has won all of its past 10 matches with 3-0 sweeps.

Junior Marlayna Geary and senior Megan Amundson had 12 and 11 kills, respectively, while combining for only five errors. Western spread the kills around nicely, thanks to senior setter Kari Rice's 39 assists and senior libero Allison Gotz's 25 digs - junior Emily Jepsen and senior Kathryn Mertens had seven kills apiece and sophomore Bailey Jones scored on six shots.

Senior outside hitter Jordyn Bailey hustled for seven digs and Amundson, also an outside hitter, collected eight digs to complement Gotz's typical defensive domination. Jepsen, a middle blocker who plays with the panache of a hitter and server all at once, contributed match highs of five aces and four blocks.

"Oh, my gosh, I'll start crying right now if I think about it (the seniors' last home game)," said Jepsen, who has started since her freshman season. "I've seen these seniors become not only great teammates, but my best friends."

"There will be a lot of emotion Saturday, but it will be good emotion," said Amundson. "And our fans are by far the best in the GNAC. People don't want to play here."

Indeed, the crowd, announced at 809, seemed loud enough to be a gathering at least twice that large, much to Amundson's satisfaction.

Amundson took time out to praise Rice, a fifth-year senior who red shirted last season with an injury.

"Kari sets such a beautiful ball," Amundson said. "She always puts up a hittable ball."

Rice did an especially effective job of spotting the open hitter, and never better than during Western's 7-0 run for a 19-13 lead in the first game and 8-1 run for a 25-15 advantage in the third game.

Mertens provided the clinching kill in the first game. Geary took a direct dig from libero Gotz, who leads the GNAC in digs, for the winner in the second game. Jones provided the honors with a block in the final game.

Flick was especially gratified the Vikings coped well with an illness that limited practice for three regulars this week. They all seemed healthy against Central.

The West Regional seems most likely to be played at nationally No. 6 ranked Cal State San Bernardino, although Flick pointed out that team faces two tough matches this weekend before the regional fields are announced Sunday.