SEATTLE, Wash. – Having already secured the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title, the Western Washington University volleyball team just keeps on winning…recording its 15th consecutive victory.
This time the No. 16 nationally-ranked Vikings spoiled Senior Night for Seattle Pacific University with a 3-1 road victory, handing the Falcons their first home court loss of the season in 12 matches. Game scores were 24-26, 25-18, 25-19, 25-23 as the Vikings stormed back after being down 1-0.
With their 15th consecutive win, Western improved to 20-4 overall and the now four-time defending GNAC champions increased their lead in the conference with a 16-1 league record. The Vikings also secured yet another 20-win season, the 16th in 21 full seasons under head coach Diane Flick-Williams.
"This was a great learning week for us to be focused on different challenges on the road," said Flick-Williams. "This is what prepares us for the postseason. The GNAC is tough and we are getting everyone's best shot each night. Tonight we were down 1-0, but the team stayed focused and trusted their preparation to come out with a great victory. We are just taking things one day, one match at a time. This is what you have to do in this conference as well in the playoffs…and I like where our focus is at and how we are preparing for every match."
Seattle Pacific had its recent surge cooled, snapping a three-match winning streak and a string of five wins in its last six matches. The Falcons dropped to 14-9 overall and 10-6 in GNAC play while also enduring its first home loss in Brougham Pavilion.
The Vikings earned the season sweep over the Falcons, also notching a 3-0 sweep in Bellingham on October 14, and have not recorded a win over WWU in a fall championship season since 2013 (14 straight wins for WWU).
WWU's All-American outside hitter combination of Calley Heilborn and Gabby Gunterman, and stalwart middles Olivia Fairchild and Chloe Roetcisoender provided the offensive power for the Vikings.
Heilborn notched her 18th double-double in 23 matches with 12 kills and a match-high 19 digs. Gunterman added a match-high 17 kills and also had eight digs.
"Gabby was a force throwing punches for us and Calley was her counterpart all night," said Flick-Williams.
Roetcisoender had a match-high eight blocks to go along with 10 kills on a .350 hitting percentage and Fairchild added 10 kills and three blocks.
"Our middles were outstanding all night, swinging to the corners and providing a big block," added Flick-Williams.
Sophomore setter Malia Aleaga ran the offense with 50 assists, also contributing eight digs and five blocks.
The Vikings recorded a season-high 10 service aces, with Heilborn setting a single-match career-high with five service aces. Sophomore Tupu Lologo added a pair of service aces while fueling several long runs. Sophomore libero Kasey Woodruff had 15 digs and two service aces.
Hannah Hair lead SPU with 10 kills and four blocks, with senior Erin Gould nearing a double-double with eight kills and 16 digs.
WWU out-hit the Falcons .267-to-.189and held a 10.0-to-8.0 edge in blocks in a battle of two of the top blocking teams in the nation.
The Vikings (20-4, 16-1 GNAC) complete the 2021 regular season on Saturday, November 20 hosting Simon Fraser at noon in Carver Gym. WWU will advance to the postseason earning the GNAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships marking the ninth consecutive season the Vikings will play in the West Regional.
Kills - Gunterman (17), Heilborn (12), Roetcisoender (10), Fairchild (10)
Aces - Heilborn (5), Woodruff (2), Lologo (2)
Blocks - Roetcisoender (8), Aleaga (5), Fairchild (2)
Assists - Aleaga (50), Woodruff
Digs - Heilborn (19), Woodruff (15), Gunterman (8)
Points - Heilborn (17.5), Gunterman (17.5), Roetcisoender (15.0), Fairchild (11.0)
WWU has clinched its fourth consecutive GNAC title, the 11th in program history since joining the GNAC in 2001. Western is the first team to win four consecutive league titles in the history of GNAC Volleyball, bettering the three straight by WWU from 2001-02 and 2017-19. The Vikings officially receive the GNAC's automatic bid to the NCAA II West Regional that will be played December 3-5 at a to-be-determined site.
Here is a look at the 2021 Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings following play on Saturday. WWU has clinched its fourth consecutive GNAC title to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA II Championships.
|
2021 STANDINGS
|
CONF
|
PCT
|
OVERALL
|
PCT
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
NEUTRAL
|
STREAK
|
|
1.
|
Western Washington
|
16-1
|
.941
|
20-4
|
.833
|
11-0
|
8-1
|
1-3
|
Won 15
|
|
2.
|
Central Washington
|
11-5
|
.688
|
15-7
|
.682
|
10-0
|
4-5
|
1-2
|
Won 5
|
|
3.
|
Simon Fraser
|
11-6
|
.647
|
17-7
|
.708
|
7-2
|
5-4
|
5-1
|
Lost 2
|
|
4.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
10-6
|
.625
|
14-9
|
.609
|
11-1
|
2-6
|
1-2
|
Lost 1
|
|
|
Alaska Anchorage
|
10-6
|
.625
|
17-11
|
.607
|
8-3
|
8-5
|
1-3
|
Lost 3
|
|
6.
|
Alaska Fairbanks
|
9-7
|
.563
|
16-12
|
.571
|
9-2
|
5-8
|
2-2
|
Won 2
|
|
7.
|
Montana State Billings
|
6-10
|
.375
|
11-15
|
.423
|
9-5
|
2-8
|
0-2
|
Won 1
|
|
8.
|
Saint Martin's
|
3-13
|
.188
|
10-16
|
.385
|
3-7
|
2-7
|
5-2
|
Lost 5
|
|
|
Northwest Nazarene
|
3-13
|
.188
|
6-18
|
.250
|
3-5
|
2-13
|
1-0
|
Won 1
|
|
10.
|
Western Oregon
|
2-14
|
.125
|
4-19
|
.160
|
2-7
|
0-8
|
2-4
|
Lost 1
|
|
* 2021 GNAC Champions
Saturday's GNAC Results
#16 Western Washington 3, at Seattle Pacific 1
Central Washington 3, at Western Oregon 2
at Alaska Fairbanks 3, Alaska Anchorage 1
at Montana State Billings 3, Simon Fraser 1
Northwest Nazarene 3, at Saint Martin's 0
|
SERIES HISTORY VS. SEATTLE PACIFIC
Earned a season sweep over Seattle Pacific, winning in four sets Saturday night and in a 3-0 win on October 14 in Carver Gym in Bellingham. WWU leads the all-time series vs. SPU 58-28 with a 22-3 mark over the last 25 matches.
Here is a match-by-match look at the 2021 season through the first 24 matches of the season:
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
|
Score
|
Score-by-set
|
|
9/3
|
Sonoma State
|
W
|
3-1
|
26-24,23-25,25-18,25-18
|
|
9/4
|
MSU Denver (#11)
|
W
|
3-2
|
25-21,24-26,18-25,30-28,15-7
|
|
9/5
|
Chaminade
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-20,22-25,25-23,25-18
|
|
9/10
|
vs. Wayne State (#17)
|
L
|
0-3
|
22-25,17-25,22-25
|
|
9/10
|
vs. Lewis (#5)
|
L
|
0-3
|
16-25,24-26,16-25
|
|
9/11
|
vs. Lynn (RV)
|
W
|
3-2
|
22-25,25-16,23-25,25-20,15-11
|
|
9/11
|
vs. Cal State San Bernardino (#6)
|
L
|
2-3
|
23-25,35-33,25-17,21-25,13-15
|
|
9/18
|
at Simon Fraser* (#20)
|
W
|
3-2
|
25-13,19-25,20-25,25-23,15-9
|
|
9/23
|
at Central Washington*
|
L
|
1-3
|
13-25,25-19,15-25,23-25
|
|
9/25
|
at Northwest Nazarene*
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-13,25-27,25-22,25-22
|
|
10/2
|
Alaska Fairbanks*
|
W
|
3-2
|
25-13,20-25,25-23,23-25,15-13
|
|
10/7
|
at Western Oregon*
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-12,23-25,25-20,25-17
|
|
10/9
|
at Saint Martin's*
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-19,25-17,21-25,25-19
|
|
10/14
|
Seattle Pacific*
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-22,27-25,25-22
|
|
10/16
|
Montana State Billings*
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-17,25-11,25-18
|
|
10/21
|
Northwest Nazarene*
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-14,25-14,25-12
|
|
10/23
|
Central Washington*
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-13,25-22,25-22
|
|
10/28
|
at Alaska Fairbanks*
|
W
|
3-2
|
23-25,27-25,25-16,21-25,15-11
|
|
10/30
|
at Alaska Anchorage*
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-22,25-23,25-19
|
|
11/4
|
Saint Martin's*
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-22,25-15,25-23
|
|
11/6
|
Western Oregon*
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-17,25-17,25-18
|
|
11/8
|
Alaska Anchorage*
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-21,23-25,28-26,25-22
|
|
11/11
|
at Montana State Billings*
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-15,25-23,25-15
|
|
11/13
|
at Seattle Pacific*
|
W
|
3-1
|
24-26,25-18,25-19,25-23
|
|
11/20
|
Simon Fraser*
|
|
|
|
WWU is 20-4 overall and 16-1 in GNAC play, going 8-2 in three-set matches, 7-1 in four-set contests and 5-1 in five sets. Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2021 season:
|
2021 RECORD BREAKDOWN
|
|
Overall Record
|
20-4
|
|
Streak
|
W15
|
|
Home
|
11-0
|
|
Away
|
8-1
|
|
Neutral
|
1-3
|
|
GNAC Record
|
16-1
|
|
3-Set Matches
|
8-2
|
|
4-Set Matches
|
7-1
|
|
5-Set Matches
|
5-1
|
|
Ranked Opponents
|
2-3
|
|
Record by Jersey
|
|
Navy Blue
|
6-1
|
|
White
|
2-0
|
|
Light Blue
|
7-2
|
|
Dark Gray
|
5-1
|
WWU has a current 15-match winning streak, a stretch of victories that began with a four-set road win over Northwest Nazarene on September 25. The Vikings were perfect during October going 9-0, with five 3-0 sweeps and are 5-0 during the month of November. WWU has now recorded a double-digit winning streak in each of the last six "full" seasons: 17 (2019), 30 (2018), 20 (2017), 11 (2016), 16 (2015).
The Vikings have now won 86 of their last 99 matches dating back to the 2018 season (86-13/.869) when the Vikings were the NCAA II national runner-up. WWU is also 113-17 (.869) dating back to the start of the 2017 season.
Fans can follow WWU Volleyball online at WWUVikings.com/VB, and via social media on Twitter (@WWUVolleyball), Instagram (@WWUVB) and Facebook (@WWUVolleyball). All home matches feature a live webcast, as well as most road matches, with links on how to follow the games available at WWUVikings.com/Live.
Currently in its 50th season as a varsity intercollegiate sport at WWU, the Western volleyball program has risen to elite level by advancing to the NCAA Division II Championships in each of the last eight seasons (2021 will be 9 straight) and 14 of the last 19 dating back to the 2001 season. The winner of 11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Western won the 2018 GNAC title with a perfect 20-0 record, the 2017 championship by posting a 19-1 league, became a 3-peat champion with an 18-2 mark in 2019 and have already clinched the 2021 title. Led by 22nd-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (480-116/.805) the Vikings have posted a 231-46 record over the last 10 seasons (.834 winning percentage) and have played in the NCAA II West Region championship match four of the last five seasons (2015-18), winning titles in 2015 and 2018. WWU played for the NCAA II national championship in 2007 and 2018, both national runner-up finishes, and have advanced to the NCAA Final Four in two of the past five seasons (2015 and 2018).
