BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 9 nationally-ranked Western Washington University volleyball team celebrated Senior Night with a three-set sweep over Saint Martin's University on WECU Court in Carver Gym.
The Vikings closed out the home portion of the 2022 schedule with the 25-20, 25-12, 25-19 victory to improve to 12-1 in Carver Gym. WWU won its fourth consecutive match to improve to 19-5 overall and remains in second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 14-2.
"It was a great senior night and fun way to celebrate eight amazing people," said WWU head coach Diane Flick-Williams. "Everybody stepped up and did it for each other, which is what made it such a special night."
Senior outside hitter Calley Heilborn continued her torrid play celebrating Senior Night with a 17-kill, 14-dig double-double, also adding three aces and three blocks for 22.5 points.
Senior outside hitter Gabby Gunterman added nine kills and 14 digs and senior libero Kasey Woodruff tied for the team lead with 14 digs. Senior Tupu Lologo filled in at the setter position pacing the offense with 38 assists, and had nine digs and a pair of service aces.
"Tupu was amazing tonight and did everything a player could possibly do in a volleyball match," added Flick-Williams.
Senior Chloe Roetcisoender had five kills on a .714 hitting percentage and three blocks on her senior night. Sophomore Gabby Kepley added seven kills, five digs and two blocks.
Saint Martin's was led by seven kills and three blocks by Loredana Fouonji and seven kills and 11 digs by Tia Allen.
The Vikings (19-5, 14-2 GNAC) close out the 2022 regular season on the road next week traveling to play Montana State Billings on Thursday (7 pm MT/6 pm PT) and Seattle Pacific on Saturday (2 pm). The complete 2022 WWU Volleyball schedule, with links to browse statistics and follow games via webcasts and live stats can be found online at wwuvikings.com/VB.
Kills – Heilborn (17), Gunterman (9), Kepley (7)
Aces – Heilborn (3), Lologo (2), Kepley (1)
Blocks – Heilborn (3), Roetcisoender (2), Fairchild (2)
Assists – Lologo (38)
Digs – Gunterman (14), Woodruff (14), Heilborn (14)
Points – Heilborn (22.5), Gunterman (9.5), Kepley (9.0), Roetcisoender (6.0)
THE GREAT EIGHT SENIOR CLASS
The Vikings 2022 roster features eight seniors that have combined to play in 661 career matches. Here is a look at Western's senior class that was honored prior to and after Saturday's match:
SERIES HISTORY VS. SAINT MARTIN'S
WWU swept the season series vs. Saint Martin's, also winning in four sets October 6 in Lacey (25-17,25-12,16-25,25-19). WWU leads the all-time series 67-5 with a current 46-match winning streak. The Vikings have won 72 of the last 74 sets vs. the Saints dating back to the 2010 season. Extended winning streak to 22 straight vs. SMU in Bellingham.
The Vikings have now won 110 of their last 129 matches dating back to the 2018 season (110-19/.853) when the Vikings were the NCAA II national runner-up. WWU is also 137-23 dating back to the start of the 2017 season.
Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2022 season:
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2022 RECORD BREAKDOWN
|
|
Overall Record
|
19-5
|
|
Streak
|
W4
|
|
Home
|
12-1
|
|
Away
|
6-1
|
|
Neutral
|
1-3
|
|
GNAC Record
|
14-2
|
|
3-Set Matches
|
9-1
|
|
4-Set Matches
|
6-1
|
|
5-Set Matches
|
3-2
|
|
Ranked Opponents
|
2-5
|
|
Winning First Set
|
16-1
|
|
Dropping First Set
|
3-4
|
|
Record by Jersey
|
|
White
|
8-1
|
|
Light Blue
|
6-1
|
|
Dark Gray
|
5-0
|
|
Navy Blue
|
0-3
|
Here is a look at the updated records for the 10 GNAC volleyball programs following Saturday's matches, with WWU remaining in second place in the conference standings with a 14-2 GNAC mark:
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GNAC VOLLEYBALL
|
CONF
|
PCT
|
OVERALL
|
PCT
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
NEUTRAL
|
STREAK
|
|
1.
|
Alaska Anchorage
|
15-1
|
.938
|
25-2
|
.926
|
13-0
|
8-1
|
4-1
|
Won 4
|
|
2.
|
Western Washington
|
14-2
|
.875
|
19-5
|
.792
|
12-1
|
6-1
|
1-3
|
Won 4
|
|
3.
|
Central Washington
|
10-7
|
.588
|
15-10
|
.600
|
5-3
|
6-5
|
4-2
|
Lost 1
|
|
4.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
10-6
|
.625
|
12-12
|
.500
|
5-2
|
5-7
|
2-3
|
Won 3
|
|
5.
|
Simon Fraser
|
9-7
|
.563
|
12-13
|
.480
|
7-2
|
2-6
|
3-5
|
Won 3
|
|
6.
|
Northwest Nazarene
|
9-8
|
.529
|
16-9
|
.640
|
8-5
|
5-4
|
3-0
|
Lost 4
|
|
7.
|
Alaska
|
6-10
|
.375
|
16-12
|
.571
|
9-4
|
3-7
|
4-1
|
Won 1
|
|
8.
|
Western Oregon
|
5-11
|
.313
|
9-15
|
.375
|
3-4
|
2-7
|
4-4
|
Lost 3
|
|
9.
|
Saint Martin's
|
3-13
|
.188
|
13-13
|
.500
|
7-5
|
2-8
|
4-0
|
Lost 2
|
|
10.
|
Montana State Billings
|
0-16
|
.000
|
7-18
|
.280
|
5-7
|
1-10
|
1-1
|
Lost 11
|
|
This Week's GNAC Schedule
|
|
Thursday, November 3:
at Simon Fraser 3, Saint Martin's 1
at Alaska Anchorage 3, Northwest Nazarene 1
Central Washington 3, at Alaska Fairbanks 1
at Western Washington 3, Western Oregon 1
Saturday, November 5:
Seattle Pacific 3, at Montana State Billings 1
at Alaska Fairbanks 3, Northwest Nazarene 2
at Western Washington 3, Saint Martin's 0
at Alaska Anchorage 3, Central Washington 0
at Simon Fraser 3, Western Oregon 2
|
Here is a match-by-match look at the 2022 season following Thursday's 3-0 victory Saturday in GNAC action:
|
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)
|
|
|
7:00 pm MT
|
|
11/12
|
at Seattle Pacific (GNAC)
|
|
|
2:00 pm
|
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 1,010 all-time wins (1010-577-7/.636). 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 (504-122/.805) the Vikings have posted a 255-52 record over the last 11 seasons (.831 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).
