Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho - The 15th-ranked Western Washington University volleyball team had its 11-match winning streak snapped in a 3-2 loss at Northwest Nazarene Thursday evening in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action. Game scores were 17-25, 25-15, 25-19, 25-27, 19-17 in favor of the Crusaders.

WWU falls to 16-7 overall and remains in 2nd place in the GNAC at 12-3 in league play. NNU improves to 17-5 overall and 10-5 in GNAC play.

"We just didn't make the adjustments we need to make and unfortunately that cost us tonight," said head coach Diane Flick-Williams. "I thought our middles did a nice job tonight and kept us in the match."

Sophomore middle blockers Kayleigh Harper (18 kills, .485) and Michaela Hall (17 kills, .457) led four Vikings who recorded double-digits in kills. Sophomore Abby Phelps (15 kills, 28 digs) totaled the double-double and Arielle Turner recorded 14 kills. Sophomore Brette Boesel led the Vikings with 46 assists.

The Vikings jumped out to the early lead with a 25-17 first set victory. Harper led WWU with 4 kills (.375), while Phelps had 3 kills and 9 digs. Western jumped out to a 9-2 lead and never looked back to go up 1-0.

NNU evened the match with a 25-15 win in the second set and jumped ahead with a 25-19 third-set victory. Western pulled to within one at 18-17, but the Crusaders went on a 7-2 run to take the set.

Western took a thrilling fourth set 27-25 to push the match to the deciding fifth set. WWU had match point at 14-13, but NNU forged ahead 15-14. The match went back-and-forth with ties at 15-15, 16-16 and 17-17 before the Crusaders pulled out the 19-17 win.

NNU's Kendra Bodine led all players with 25 kills on a .359 hitting percentage, and totaled the double-double with 13 digs.

The Vikings hit .299 for the match, but NNU was at .316. The match featured 33 tie scores and 10 lead changes (5 in the deciding 5th set).

WWU returns to action Saturday facing Central Washington at 7 pm at Nicholson Pavilion in Ellensburg.