Sept. 22, 2011
Box Score
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Middle blocker Emily Jepsen (Sr., Kennewick/Kamiakin) had a match-high 23 kills on a .613 attack percentage as Western Washington University overcame a slow start and defeated University of Alaska Fairbanks, 33-31, 23-25, 25-15, 25-17, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match Thursday at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus.
The Vikings, ranked No.25 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, improved to 7-2 overall and 5-0 in the GNAC before a crowd of 935 in the first home match after the start of fall quarter. It was the fifth straight victory for Western and the 13th consecutive home victory.
Alaska Fairbanks remained winless at 0-12 overall and 0-4, but the Nanooks gave the Vikings a battle in the first two sets. Simone Chavous head 14 kills for UAF and Karlee Skalla added 12 and four block assists.
The 33-31 opening set was the longest Western has played since the move to 25-point sets prior to the 2009 season. There were a total of 12 ties in the set before the Vikings finally closed the frame out on consecutive kills by outside hitter Marlayna Geary (Jr., Tacoma/Bellarmine), who finished with 21.
But UAF then claimed the second set, the first time Western had lost a set at home this season. The Nanooks trailed by as much as five, but broke away from a 22-22 tie to get kills on three of the next four points and even the match.
The Vikings then asserted control in the final two sets, never trailing in either frame except at 1-0 in the fourth set. Western ran off 11 of the final 13 points in the third set, and seven of the last eight in the fourth.
Jepsen's 23 kills came with just four errors in 31 attempts. Setter Laurie Yearout (Jr., Spokane/Lewis & Clark) had a solid all-around match with 55 assists, 11 digs, five kills in eight errorless attempts and three blocks; and middle blocker Bailey Jones (Jr., Mukilteo/Kamiak) added a match-high seven blocks.
It was the 100th home victory (100-11) for Western since 2000, the year Flick became coach and the Vikings introduced a SportCourt surface.
The Vikings now hold a 31-6 series advantage over UAF, winning the last six meetings.
WWU entertains Alaska Anchorage on Saturday (7 p.m.) in a GNAC counter.
