Sept. 3, 2010
Box Score
Monmouth, OR - Outside hitter Jordyn Bailey (Sr., Wenatchee) had a match-high 13 kills in 25 attempts for an attack percentage of .520 and added 10 digs as Western Washington University opened its season with a sweep of nationally ranked Metro State College CO, 25-18, 25-17, 25-18, in first-day action Friday at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Challenge being held at the New P.E. Building on the Western Oregon University campus.
It was the sixth straight winning debut for the Vikings, who were the preseason favorite in the GNAC Coaches Poll. Outside hitter Marlayna Geary (So., Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep) also posted a double-double for Western with 11 kills and 12 digs.
"My biggest concern coming into the match was were we going to be tentative or were we going to be aggressive, and they answered that question for me," said Western coach Diane Flick (11th year, 214-60), whose .780 winning percentage ranks ninth among NCAA Division II active coaches.
The match also was the season opener for Metro State, ranked No.10 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Top 25 Poll.
The Vikings never trailed in the first set and held Metro State to a kill percentage of just .026 in the second set. They trailed 12-13 in the third set before scoring four straight points to begin a set and match ending 13-5 run.
Western middle blocker Emily Jepsen (Jr., Kennewick/Kamiakin) had match-highs of four blocks and three service aces as well as seven kills. Setter Kari Rice (Sr., Toppenish/Eisenhower) had 33 assists and libero Allison Gotz (Sr., Bothell/Archbishop Murphy) tied for match-high honors with 13 digs.
"I think that we played at a tempo that we're finally comfortable with," Flick said. "We got great quality from our outsides and good balance from our middle and opposite, so it was a good setting match for Kari (Rice)."
The Vikings, who were that national runner-up in 2007, play Humboldt State at 8 p.m. tonight at Central High School in Independence, Ore.
On Saturday, Western meets nationally No.8-ranked UC San Diego at 10 a.m. on the WOU campus and No.2 Cal State San Bernardino at 5 p.m. at CHS. CSUSB has won the last two West Region titles and reached the national title match in 2009.
