HOW TO FOLLOW…all four of WWU's matches in the season-opening West Florida Invitational can be followed via live stats and video accessed through WWUVikings.com/Live…all GNAC matches will feature live video and webcast at GNAC.tv.
 
WHAT RETURNS...the Vikings return 5 starters plus the leading libero from last year's squad that finished 27-4 overall and won the GNAC Championship with a 19-1 league record…overall WWU returns 10 players from last year's team that played for the West Region championship and ended the season ranked No. 7 in the nation.
 
THE RANKINGS…WWU checked into the national rankings at No. 5, tying for the highest preseason ranking in program history (tied with 2016)…the Vikings have now been ranked in 81 consecutive AVCA polls dating back to the first regular-season poll of the 2012 season…the Vikings are 23^rd all-time in AVCA Division II poll history appearing in the national poll 162 times and 28^th appearing in the top 10 in 61 polls.
 
PRESEASON GNAC POLL…the Vikings received all 11 first-place votes and topped the 2018 GNAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll with the maximum number of 121 total points…Central Washington was picked second with 106 votes, followed by Simon Fraser (91 points) in third and Alaska Anchorage and Northwest Nazarene (82 points) tied for fourth.
 
PRESEASON ALL-GNAC…led by GNAC Preseason Player of the Year Abby Phelps, three Vikings were named to the 2018 GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team…senior setter Brette Boesel and senior middle Michaela Hall were also selected to the team after all three were all-conference selections in 2017.
 
TOUGH SCHEDULE…each of WWU's 8 non-conference matches will be played against teams that appear in the AVCA DII Preseason Poll, with five ranked teams and three additional schools receiving votes…overall, 7 of the Vikings 28 regular-season matches will come against teams listed in the preseason top 25 and 14 total matches against teams either in the top 25 or receiving votes…the 2018 schedule includes matches against Southwest Minnesota State (#2), Regis (#7), Cal State San Bernardino (#11), West Florida (#15), Northwest Nazarene (#19), Wheeling Jesuit (#24), Azusa Pacific (RV, #34), Alaska Anchorage (RV, #37), Sonoma State (RV, #39), Central Washington (RV, #42) and Biola (RV, #45)…WWU finished last season with the 4^th-toughest schedule in NCAA II.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…

• 2017 GNAC Champions – WWU claimed its 8^th GNAC Championship (7^th outright) with a 19-1 league record.
• Coach of the Year – Diane Flick-Williams was named the GNAC Coach of the Year for the 9^th time.
• All-American – Abby Phelps was a First Team AVCA All-American in 2017.
• Set It – Brette Boesel led the GNAC and West Region with 11.72 assists/set.
• The Last 6 – WWU is 145-33 (.815) over the last six seasons (99-15/.868 in GNAC play).
• 1,000-1,000 Club – Abby Phelps is the 4^th player in WWU history with 1,000 career kills and digs.
• Bopray's Blocks – Joslyn Bopray ranked 2^nd in NCAA II last season averaging 1.45 blocks per set, setting the WWU rally scoring era record.

2017 GNAC CHAMPIONS…the Vikings clinched the 2017 GNAC title with a 19-1 league record, tying the conference record for league wins in a season (UAA in 2016)…marked the eighth GNAC title (7^th outright) for WWU in the 17 seasons of league history.
 
SAME AUBREY, NEW LAST NAME…senior libero Aubrey Stephens may not sound familiar to WWU fans, but her play on the court sure will…the former Aubrey Buckner got married during the offseason and the fifth-year senior now goes by the last name of Stephens…Stephens was named honorable mention All-GNAC in 2017 ranking 4^th in the conference with 5.26 digs per set…she enters her senior season 25^th in program history with 731 career digs.

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 ALL AROUND ABBY…Abby Phelps was named the 2017 GNAC Player of the Year and was a First Team AVCA All-American after averaging 4.31 kills and 4.81 digs per set in 2017…she recorded 25 double-doubles (kills/digs) during her junior season, including a string of 10 consecutive to end the season…in 93 career matches, Phelps has tallied 55 double-doubles…here is a look at Phelps and where she stands in the WWU career record book:
  STATISTICALLY SPEAKING…among NCAA Division II team leaders last season, WWU ranked in the top 20 in NCAA II in blocks per set (3^rd, 2.75), digs per set (4^th, 20.39), kills per set (14^th, 14.25), assists per set (17^th, 13.39) and hitting percentage (18^th, .249).
 
NCAA HISTORY…WWU advanced to the West Regional Final for the third consecutive season last year, marking the program's 12th appearance in the NCAA Division II West Regional and 6th consecutive trip to the postseason…set the program record with a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA II Tournament in 2015 when it advanced to the NCAA II Elite 8 (and Final Four)…WWU is 16-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and is one of two GNAC schools to win a West Regional title.
 
ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON…WWU recorded 27 wins last season to tie for 5^th-most in program history…sixth consecutive 20-win season and 28^th in the 46-year history of the program…head coach Diane Flick-Williams has guided the program to at least 20 wins in 13 of her 18 seasons at the helm of the program…over the last six seasons (since 2012), WWU has combined to go 145-33 (.815), advancing to the NCAA Tournament in each season (2012-17).
 
BLOCK PARTY…the Vikings finished the 2017 season ranked 3^rd in NCAA II averaging 2.75 blocks per set, the 5^th-best single-season mark in program history and the most during the rally-scoring era (since 2001)…WWU's three featured middles each have impressive career blocking numbers entering the 2018 season: Joslyn Bopray (1.40 blocks/set), Kayleigh Harper (1.25 blocks/set) and Michaela Hall (0.92 blocks/set).
 
WELCOME BACK KAYLEIGH…middle Kayleigh Harper returns to the court in 2018 for her junior season after sitting out 2017…Harper is a two-time First Team All-GNAC selection (2015-16) and was an honorable mention All-America selection in 2016…she has appeared in 64 career matches, averaging 2.48 kills per set with a .345 hitting percentage, and is averaging 1.25 blocks per set.
 
COACH FLICK-WILLIAMS…Diane Flick-Williams enters her 19^th season directing the WWU Volleyball program and is the winningest coach in program history…owns a career record of 394-103 (.793), guiding the Vikings to 13 seasons of 20 or more victories, 12 NCAA Championship appearances, a pair Final Four appearances, 8 Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships and received GNAC Coach of the Year honors 9 times (2001-03, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012-13, 2017)…amongst active Division II coaches, she enters the 2018 season ranked 13^th in winning percentage and 33^rd by victories…her .793 winning percentage heading into the 2018 season is 11^th-best in Division II history (min. 10 years as a DII head coach).
 
HOME SWEET HOME…after 8 road matches to open the season, the Vikings open GNAC play hosting Seattle Pacific (9/6) and Saint Martin's (9/8) on WECU Court in Carver Gym…WWU went 10-0 at home last season, returning to Carver Gym after a two-year renovation was completed…carry a 15-match Carver Gym winning streak into the 2018 season…head coach Diane Flick-Williams has led the program to a 140-15 (.903) record inside Carver Gym.
 
2017 SEASON IN REVIEW…finished the 2017 season 27-4 overall and advanced to the NCAA II West Region Championship for the third consecutive season…Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions with a 19-1 league record, winning the eighth GNAC title in program history…tied GNAC record for conference wins in a season (UAA in 2016)…27 wins tied for 5^th-most in program history…made sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships (12th overall)…ranked No. 7 in the AVCA/Division II Coaches Poll for the 3^rd-highest end of season ranking in program history (No. 2 in 2007, No. 6 in 2015)…recorded sixth consecutive 20-win season, going 145-33 (.815) during this stretch…posting a perfect 10-0 home record inside Carver Gym (10-1 away, 7-3 neutral)…recorded 20-match winning streak Sept. 19-Dec. 1, tied for the 3^rd-longest winning streak in program history (dropped only 7 sets during winning streak)…went 16-3 in 3-set matches, 8-1 in 4-set matches and 3-0 when going the distance in 5 sets…averaged 694 fans in 10 home matches (6,940 total attendance), ranking 6^th among Division II programs…drew program record 1,289 fans for the home opener Sept. 19 vs. Simon Fraser…had the 4^th-toughest schedule in the nation with an opponents' combined winning percentage of .646 (330-181)…Abby Phelps (Player of the Year), Brette Boesel, Joellee Buckner and Michaela Hall earned First Team All-GNAC honors…Phelps was named a First Team AVCA All-American.
 
ABOUT WWU VOLLEYBALL…the WWU volleyball program has risen to elite level by advancing to the NCAA Division II Championships in six consecutive seasons and 12 of the last 17 dating back to the 2001 season. The winner of eight Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships, Western won the league title in 2017 by posting a 19-1 league record and were 27-4 overall. Led by 19-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams, the Vikings have posted a 145-33 record over the last six seasons (.815 winning percentage) and have played in the NCAA II West Region championship match each of the last three seasons (2015, 2016, 2017). WWU played for the NCAA II national championship in 2007 finishing 2nd in the nation and advanced to the NCAA II Final Four in 2015.