Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Outside hitter Rachel Roeder (Sr., Sammamish/Issaquah) had 19 kills and a .581 attack percentage, both match highs, as nationally ranked Western Washington University won its eighth consecutive match, sweeping Seattle Pacific University, 25-17, 25-21, 25-23, on Saturday, Sept. 19, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match at the Whatcom Community College Pavilion.

The Vikings, ranked No. 16 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, improved to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in conference action.

Seattle Pacific dropped to 2-8 and 0-2 in GNAC play.

"Rachel (Roeder) was phenomenal tonight," said WWU head coach Diane Flick (16th year, 325-87). "That was one of her best matches ever. Incredible."

"What I like about this team is that it finds a way to win even though we're still trying to figure out how to play this game."

WWU, which hit .304 as a team, got eight kills and a match-high seven blocks from Kayleigh Harper (R-Fr., Oak Harbor), and Abby Phelps (R-Fr., Manson/Chelan) added nine kills, 10 digs and two blocks. Jennica McPherson (Sr., Seattle/Kennedy) contributed six kills and 17 digs, and Joellee Buckner (So., Colville) had five kills and 12 digs.

The Vikings' Brette Boesel (R-Fr., Brewster) had 25 assists and Kristina Tribley (So., Wenatchee) 19. WWU scored the first six points of the match and led by as many as nine, 13-4, in the first set with the Falcons getting no closer than five after that.

There were 13 ties and five lead changes in the second set before WWU scored five of the last six points for a 2-0 lead in games.

With the third set tied at 14-all, the Vikings scored six of the next seven points in going on to complete the sweep.

The Vikings travel to Central Washington on Thursday, Sept. 24 (7 p.m.) for a GNAC counter.