Box Score

NAMPA, Id. - Opposite-side hitter Jennica McPherson (Sr., Seattle/Kennedy) had 13 kills and an attack percentage of .414, 17 digs and four blocks; and middle blocker Kayleigh Harper (R-Fr., Oak Harbor) added 10 kills on .444 hitting and a match-high 13 blocks, as nationally ranked Western Washington University defeated Northwest Nazarene University, 29-31, 25-11, 25-14, 16-25, 15-10, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Johnson Sports Center on the NNU campus.

The Vikings, ranked No. 15 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, improved to 10-2 overall and 4-0 in conference action with their 10th straight victory. They also won in five sets in their last match on Thursday, Sept. 24, at Central Washington.

"We had different people step up at different times when we needed them and it really showed in that game five," said WWU head coach Diane Flick (16th year, 327-87). "Having Jennica (McPherson) and Kayleigh (Harper) both hit over .400 really helped."

NNU, the defending GNAC champion, fell to 5-7 overall and 2-2 in league play. The Crusaders were led by the 19 kills and 13 digs of Kendra Bodine and the 16 kills and 23 digs of Elayna Rice.

Rachel Roeder (Sr., Sammamish/Issaquah) had 19 kills for WWU, including three straight in the decisive fifth game. That helped the Vikings to a 9-2 lead. NNU rallied to within two, 12-10, before WWU ended the match with three straight points.

NNU won the first set after a string of seven ties. The Vikings never trailed in taking games two and three, before falling in the fourth set.

WWU's Abby Phelps (R-Fr., Manson/Chelan) had 11 kills, 13 digs and seven blocks; Michaela Hall (R-Fr., Centralia) contributed seven kills and six blocks, and Brette Boesel (R-Fr., Brewster) had 39 assists, 13 digs and two aces.

The Vikings played nearly the entire match without starting outside hitter Joellee Buckner (So., Colville), who left in the first set because of a foot injury.

WWU has now won 34 of 40 series meetings with NNU.

The Vikings host Simon Fraser University on Tuesday (7 p.m.), Sept. 29, then travel to Montana State University Billings on Thursday, Oct. 1 (7 p.m. MT). Both matches are GNAC counters.