Box Score

BILLINGS, Mont. --- Outside hitter Rachel Roeder (Sr.,Sammamish/Issaquah) had a team-high 13 kills as nationally ranked Western Washington University won its 12th consecutive match, defeating Montana State University Billings, 25-23, 27-25, 25-17, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Alterowitz Gymnasium on the MSUB campus.

The Vikings, ranked No. 15 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, improved to 12-2 overall and 6-0 in the GNAC. It was Western's 20th victory over the Yellowjackets in 21 meetings.

Ashley Ward has a match-high 19 kills for MSUB, which fell to 2-11 overall and 1-4 in conference play.

Each of the first two sets were closely contested. In the opening frame, the Vikings trailed 21-19 before scoring six of the final seven points. MSUB fought off two set points in the second set to tie the score at 24-24, but WWU was able to close the match out, with the final two points on kills by Roeder and Kayleigh Harper (R-Fr., Oak Harbor).

"Our setters, both Kristina Tribley (So., Wenatchee) and Brette Boesel (R-Fr., Brewster), made good decisions at the end of games to put hitters in position to score when the games were tight," said WWU coach Diane Flick.

Harper had eight kills for Western. Abby Phelps (R-Fr., Manson/Chelan) and Jennica McPherson (Sr., Seattle/Kennedy) each had seven kills and no errors, and Phelps added a match-high 18 digs.

"We knew it would be tough with the short turnaround after playing at home," said Flick, whose team defeated Simon Fraser on Tuesday. "The team did a good job of withstanding a tough fight from MSU-Billings and we're glad to be leaving here with a win."

The Vikings return home to host two matches, meeting Concordia (Ore.) University on Thursday, Oct. 8 (7 p.m.), and Western Oregon University on Saturday, Oct. 10 (7 p.m.), in GNAC counters.