MONMOUTH, Ore. – The No. 11 nationally-ranked Western Washington University volleyball team concluded the first half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule with a three-set road sweep Saturday evening over Western Oregon University.
Playing one of its best all-around matches of the year, the Vikings recorded the convincing 25-18, 25-22, 25-21 victory over the Wolves to improve to 13-4 overall and remain in second place in the GNAC at 8-1. WWU extended its winning streak to five consecutive matches.
Senior outside hitter Calley Heilborn led the Vikings with a 10-kill, 11-dig double-double and senior middle Chloe Roetcisoender contributed nine kills on a .474 hitting percentage with four blocks.
Senior setter Malia Aleaga directed the Vikings to a .311 team hitting percentage with 34 assists. Senior outside hitter Gabby Gunterman and sophomore opposite Gabby Kepley each contributed nine points, with Gunterman nearing a double-double with nine kills and nine digs.
"This was one of our most solid wins of the season – from start to finish were locked in," said WWU head coach Diane Flick-Williams, who is now just two wins short of 500 for her career. "Malia (Aleaga) was the best postal worker. She delivered the right mail, to the right address, right on time. I also thought our serve/receive was really good in the two matches this week. Calley (Heilborn), Gabby (Gunterman), Kasey (Woodruff) and Tupu (Lologo) held down the serve really well and it kept us in system all night."
WOU (7-10, 3-6 GNAC) were led by a match-high 11 kills by Madison Hornback and 10 kills from Sarah Crowell.
The Vikings (13-4, 8-1 GNAC) remain on the road traveling across the border next Saturday to face Simon Fraser University with first serve scheduled for 7 pm in West Gym in Burnaby, B.C. The complete 2022 WWU Volleyball schedule, with links to statistics, webcasts, live stats and more can be found online at wwuvikings.com/VB.
Kills – Heilborn (10), Roetcisoender (9), Gunterman (9)
Aces – Lologo (1), May (1)
Blocks – Roetcisoender (4), Maracich (3), Heilborn (3)
Assists – Aleaga (34), Woodruff (2), Gunterman (1)
Digs – Heilborn (11), Gunterman (9), Woodruff (4)
Points – Heilborn (11.5), Roetcisoender (11.0), Kepley (9.0), Gunterman (9.0)
Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2022 season:
|
2022 RECORD BREAKDOWN
|
|
Overall Record
|
13-4
|
|
Streak
|
W5
|
|
Home
|
9-0
|
|
Away
|
3-1
|
|
Neutral
|
1-3
|
|
GNAC Record
|
8-1
|
|
3-Set Matches
|
7-1
|
|
4-Set Matches
|
4-0
|
|
5-Set Matches
|
1-2
|
|
Ranked Opponents
|
2-4
|
|
Winning First Set
|
12-1
|
|
Dropping First Set
|
1-3
|
|
Record by Jersey
|
|
White
|
5-1
|
|
Light Blue
|
4-1
|
|
Dark Gray
|
4-0
|
|
Navy Blue
|
0-2
|
Here is a match-by-match look at the 2022 season following Saturday's 3-0 sweep at Western Oregon:
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
|
Score
|
Score-by-set
|
|
8/25
|
Ferris State (#20)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-8,25-19,29-27
|
|
8/25
|
Sonoma State
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-20,25-21,25-20
|
|
8/26
|
Regis (RV)
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-16,18-25,27-25,25-21
|
|
8/27
|
Cal State LA (RV)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-20,25-21,26-24
|
|
9/2
|
Lewis (#18)
|
W
|
3-2
|
25-22,22-25,22-25,25-21,15-9
|
|
9/2
|
Concordia-St. Paul (#6)
|
L
|
2-3
|
19-25,25-21,12-25,25-19,12-15
|
|
9/3
|
NW Missouri State (#10)
|
L
|
1-2
|
25-22,16-25,16-25,21-25
|
|
9/3
|
West Florida (#5)
|
L
|
2-3
|
23-25,20-25,25-21,25-22,19-21
|
|
9/8
|
Seattle Pacific (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-19,25-17,25-23
|
|
9/10
|
Montana St. Billings (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-15,25-20,25-17
|
|
9/17
|
Simon Fraser (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-16,25-21,25-20
|
|
9/22
|
at Alaska Anchorage (#14, GNAC)
|
L
|
0-3
|
22-25,19-25,22-25
|
|
9/24
|
at Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-23,25-15,20-25,25-17
|
|
9/29
|
Central Washington (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-1
|
21-25,25-23,25-19,25-18
|
|
10/1
|
Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-22,25-19,25-18
|
|
10/6
|
at Saint Martin's (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-17,25-12,16-25,25-19
|
|
10/8
|
at Western Oregon (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-18,25-22,25-21
|
|
10/15
|
at Simon Fraser (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Burnaby, B.C.
|
|
10/20
|
Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Carver Gym
|
|
10/22
|
Alaska Anchorage (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Carver Gym
|
SERIES HISTORY VS. WESTERN OREGON
WWU won its 20th consecutive match vs. WOU and are now 48-14 all-time vs. the Wolves. The Vikings have recorded a 3-0 sweep vs. the Wolves in 12 of the last 13 head-to-head matches. WWU also extended its winning streak in Monmouth to nine consecutive matches. The two teams meet again in Carver Gym on November 3.
Here is a look at the updated records for the 10 GNAC volleyball programs following Saturday's matches:
|
GNAC VOLLEYBALL
|
CONF
|
PCT
|
OVERALL
|
PCT
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
NEUTRAL
|
STREAK
|
|
1.
|
Alaska Anchorage
|
9-0
|
1.000
|
19-1
|
.950
|
8-0
|
7-0
|
4-1
|
Won 11
|
|
2.
|
Western Washington
|
8-1
|
.889
|
13-4
|
.765
|
9-0
|
3-1
|
1-3
|
Won 5
|
|
3.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
6-3
|
.667
|
8-9
|
.471
|
4-1
|
2-5
|
2-3
|
Won 5
|
|
4.
|
Northwest Nazarene
|
5-4
|
.556
|
12-5
|
.706
|
7-3
|
2-2
|
3-0
|
Lost 1
|
|
|
Central Washington
|
5-4
|
.556
|
10-7
|
.588
|
2-2
|
4-3
|
4-2
|
Won 1
|
|
6.
|
Simon Fraser
|
4-5
|
.444
|
7-11
|
.389
|
3-1
|
1-5
|
3-5
|
Won 1
|
|
7.
|
Alaska Fairbanks
|
3-6
|
.333
|
13-8
|
.619
|
6-3
|
3-4
|
4-1
|
Lost 4
|
|
|
Western Oregon
|
3-6
|
.333
|
7-10
|
.412
|
1-3
|
2-3
|
4-4
|
Lost 1
|
|
9.
|
Saint Martin's
|
2-7
|
.222
|
12-7
|
.632
|
6-4
|
2-3
|
4-0
|
Lost 3
|
|
10.
|
Montana State Billings
|
0-9
|
.000
|
7-10
|
.412
|
5-4
|
1-5
|
1-1
|
Lost 3
|
|
This Week's GNAC Schedule
|
|
Thursday, October 6:
at Western Oregon 3, Simon Fraser 2
at Northwest Nazarene 3, Alaska Fairbanks 0
#11 Western Washington 3, at Saint Martin's 1
#9 Alaska Anchorage 3, at Central Washington 0
Saturday, October 8:
#9 Alaska Anchorage 3, at Northwest Nazarene 1
at Central Washington 3, Alaska Fairbanks 0
at Seattle Pacific 3, Montana State Billings 0
Simon Fraser 3, at Saint Martin's 0
#11 Western Washington 3, at Western Oregon 0
|
The Vikings have now won 104 of their last 122 matches dating back to the 2018 season (104-18/.852) when the Vikings were the NCAA II national runner-up. WWU is also 131-22 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.
The WWU Volleyball program is in its 51st season as a varsity intercollegiate sport in 2022, rising to an elite level by advancing to the NCAA Division II Championships in each of the last nine seasons and 15 of the last 20 dating back to the 2001 season. The program has recorded 1,004 all-time wins (1004-576-7/.635). The winner of 11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the Vikings have won the last four GNAC titles with a perfect 19-1 record in 2017, perfect 20-0 mark in 2018, an 18-2 league record in 2019 and clinched the four-peat with a 17-1 record in 2021. Led by 23rd-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (498-121/.805) the Vikings have posted a 249-51 record over the last 11 seasons (.830 winning percentage) and played in the NCAA II West Region championship match five out of the last six seasons (2015-21), winning titles in 2015, 2018 and 2021 (also 2007). 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 three of the past six seasons (2015, 2018, 2021).
