BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 8 nationally-ranked Western Washington University volleyball team had its season come to a close Thursday evening falling in four sets to Central Washington University in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships in Carver Gym.
Hosting the eight-team regional as the No. 2 seed, the Vikings were upset by No. 7 CWU 25-27, 21-25, 25-20, 22-25 to conclude the 2022 season with a 21-6 overall record. WWU made its 10th consecutive appearance in the NCAA postseason and 16th overall in program history.
The Wildcats advance to the regional semifinal Friday facing No. 3 seed Cal State LA (22-6) at 7:30 pm in Carver Gym. No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona will play No. 8 Chaminade in the 5 pm match. Chaminade upset No. 1 seed Alaska Anchorage in five sets. Two of Thursday's four quarterfinal matches went five sets, with the other two going four sets, with the WWU-CWU match ending near midnight. Saturday's regional title match is slated for Saturday evening at 7 pm.
The Vikings, who won both regular-season meetings with Central, 3-1 at Bellingham and 3-2 at Ellensburg, were led by a 11-kill, 28-dig double-double by senior outside hitter Calley Heilborn. Senior outside hitter Gabby Gunterman and senior middle Chloe Roetcisoender each had 11 kills, with Gunterman recording a double-double with 11 digs. Senior setter Malia Aleaga ended her career with 45 assists and a career-high 21 digs. Senior libero Kasey Woodruff tallied 21 digs.
With the score tied at 9-9 in the decisive fourth set, Central used a 9-2 run to take a 17-11 lead. Western was only able to get within two on three occasions, the last 24-22 before sealing the win on a kill by Emma Daoud-Hebert.
CWU was led by a triple-double from setter/outside hitter Tia Andaya, notching 11 kills, 22 assists and 16 digs. Daoud-Hebert had a match-high 16 kills and four block assists. Outside hitters Kylie Thorne and Ashley Kaufman each had double-doubles for Central, Thorne finishing with 11 kills and 10 digs and Kaufman with 10 kills and 19 digs. Libero Hannah Stires added a match-high 35 digs.
Kills – Roetcisoender (11), Gunterman (11), Heilborn (11)
Aces – Heilborn (3), Lologo (2)
Blocks – Fairchild (4), Aleaga (4), Heilborn (3)
Assists – Aleaga (45), Gunterman (3), Lologo (2)
Digs – Heilborn (28), Aleaga (21), Gunterman (11)
Points – Heilborn (15.5), Roetcisoender (12.0), Gunterman (11.0), Fairchild (9.0)
Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2022 season:
|
2022 RECORD BREAKDOWN
|
|
Overall Record
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21-6
|
|
Streak
|
L1
|
|
Home
|
12-2
|
|
Away
|
8-1
|
|
Neutral
|
1-3
|
|
GNAC Record
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16-2
|
|
3-Set Matches
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11-1
|
|
4-Set Matches
|
6-2
|
|
5-Set Matches
|
3-2
|
|
Ranked Opponents
|
2-5
|
|
Winning First Set
|
18-1
|
|
Dropping First Set
|
3-5
|
|
Record by Jersey
|
|
White
|
9-1
|
|
Light Blue
|
6-1
|
|
Dark Gray
|
6-1
|
|
Navy Blue
|
0-3
|
Here is a match-by-match look at the 2022 for the Vikings:
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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)
|
W
|
3-2
|
23-25,25-22,25-18,23-25,15-8
|
|
10/20
|
Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
26-24,25-16,25-15
|
|
10/22
|
Alaska Anchorage (#9, GNAC)
|
L
|
3-1
|
12-25,16-25,25-21,23-25
|
|
10/27
|
at Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-17,25-17,23-25,25-16
|
|
10/29
|
at Central Washington (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-2
|
26-24,25-23,19-25,20-25,16-14
|
|
11/3
|
Western Oregon (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-1
|
22-25,25-15,25-21,25-19
|
|
11/5
|
Saint Martin's (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-20,25-12,25-19
|
|
11/10
|
at Montana St. Billings (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-19,25-18,25-11
|
|
11/12
|
at Seattle Pacific (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-18,25-18,25-16
|
|
11/17
|
Central Washington (NCAA)
|
L
|
3-1
|
25-27,21-25,25-20,22-25
|
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 10 seasons and 16 of the last 21 dating back to the 2001 season. The program has recorded 1,012 all-time wins (1012-578-7/.635). The winner of 11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the Vikings have four of the last five 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 (506-123/.805) the Vikings have posted a 257-53 record over the last 11 seasons (.831 winning percentage) and played in the NCAA II West Region championship match five out of the last seven 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).
