Box Score

BURNABY,B.C. - Middle blocker Kayla Erickson (Sr., Gig Harbor/Peninsula) and outside hitter Kelsey Moore (Sr., Bellevue/Newport) led a balanced attack, tying for match-high honors with 10 kills each, as Western Washington University defeated Simon Fraser University, 27-25, 16-25, 25-18, 25-15, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Saturday, Oct. 18, at West Gym on the SFU campus.

The Vikings, rated No.9 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll, improved to 15-4 overall and 8-2 in the GNAC play with their fifth straight victory.

Simon Fraser, which had a three-match winning streak snapped, dropped to 12-6 overall and 6-4 in conference action.

WWU also got nine kills and a match-high five blocks from Joellee Buckner (R-Fr., Colville) and nine kills and four blocks from Rachel Roeder (Jr., Sammamish/Issaquah). Arielle Turner (R-Fr., Leavenworth/Cascade), making her first start of the season, added seven kills and a match-high five service aces.

Libero Samantha Hutchinson (Sr., University Place/Curtis), who is the national leader in digs, had a match-high 36 for the Vikings, and setter Katina Tribley (R-Fr., Wenatchee) contributed a match-best 41 assists and 19 digs.

The first set had two lead changes and eight ties, the last at 25-all, before WWU won on an attack error and a kill by Roeder. The Vikings used a 10-4 run to close out the third set and a 10-3 run to finish the fourth set and the match.

WWU plays two GNAC home matches next week against Montana State Billings on Thursday, Oct. 23 (7 p.m.) and Seattle Pacific on Saturday, Oct. 25 (7 p.m.).