BELLINGHAM, Wash. – A pair of fun-filled events highlight a full slate of home matches for the Western Washington University volleyball team.

 

The Vikings return to WECU Court in Carver Gym to host Saint Martin's (Thursday) and Western Oregon (Saturday) in Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches closing out the first half of the conference schedule. WWU is tied for second place in the league standings with a 5-2 GNAC record and is 5-10 overall.

 

The eventful week begins Thursday with Student Appreciation Night in Carver Gym, with a blue out planned for the game. The first 400 fans will receive a free WWU Vikings t-shirt and pizza will be provided by The Foundation for WWU & Alumni to the first 300 students. Thanks to a partnership with WECU and The Foundation for WWU & Alumni, current WWU students receive free admission to all home athletic events during the 2023-24 season.

 

Saturday's match vs. Western Oregon will serve as the fourth annual Pride Night, with WWU Athletics partnering with LGBTQ+ leadership on campus to highlight an inclusive night in Carver Gym. Pride Night t-shirts will be for sale in the lobby with proceeds donated to the Bellingham Queer Collective. Free WWU Pride Stickers will also be handed out.

 

WWU is coming off a 1-1 road trip last week, defeating No. 21 Seattle Pacific and falling in five sets to Montana State Billings. The Vikings are 5-2 through the first month of conference play, tied with Central Washington in the standings and just behind SPU.

 

Through the first 15 matches of the 2023 season the youthful squad has played just two home matches on WECU Court, going 2-0 in Carver Gym with a sweep over the Alaska schools. Beginning this week, seven of the Vikings final 11 matches of the regular season will be played in Carver Gym.

 

In addition to featuring a roster with 11 of 12 active players with freshman or sophomore eligibility, WWU has lost Sophomore middle Asia Stewart and senior opposite Kylie Honrud due to season-ending injuries. Western has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation with 12 of 15 matches against a team either ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll. The NCAA shows WWU as having played the sixth-toughest schedule in the nation with a past opponent winning percentage of .641 (150-84).

 

Sophomore outside hitter Devyn Oestreich leads the team averaging 2.52 kills, 2.93 digs and 3.15 points per set, and has recorded a team-high 21 service aces to go with six double-doubles (five in last six matches). In conference play Oestreich ranks 9th with 2.83 kills per set and is 12th with a .208 hitting percentage. Redshirt freshman Emily Vossenkuhl is 3rd in the GNAC overall with 1.16 blocks per set, a mark that ranks in the top 35 in NCAA Division II. Sophomore setter Adele Holland is listed 5th in the GNAC averaging 6.84 assists per set.

 

The complete 2023 WWU Volleyball schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/VB.

 

 

In addition to free student admission for all home matches this season, Thursday's match vs. Saint Martin's will feature a special Student Appreciation Night. The first 400 WWU students will receive a navy blue WWU Vikings t-shirt to help celebrate the BLUE OUT promotion conducted by the Carver Crazies in the WECU Student Section. The Foundation for WWU & Alumni is partnering with WWU Athletics to help welcome students back for the fall quarter providing pizza to the first 300 students and Viking swag starting at 6:30 pm in the Carver Gym lobby.

Saturday's match vs. Western Oregon will celebrate the fourth annual Pride Match, with WWU Athletics working closely with the LGBTQ+ leadership on campus to host an inclusive night in Carver Gym. The match demonstrates how Western and the WWU Volleyball program supports and welcomes all. Pride Night shirts will be for sale in the Carver Gym lobby with proceeds donated to the Bellingham Queer Collective. Pride Night Stickers will also be handed out to the first 400 fans and WWU LGBTQ+ clubs and resources will provide information to fans in the lobby. More information on the WWU LGBTQ+ resources is available online at lgbtq.wwu.edu/community.

Following the mini two-match homestand hosting Saint Martin's and Western Oregon, the Vikings are back on the road with its longest trip of the season traveling to play the Alaska Schools. WWU will play Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday, October 19 (7 pm AKT/8 pm PT) and rival Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, October 21 (2 pm AKT). The Vikings swept the Alaska schools September 21-23 to open the home schedule on WECU Court in Carver Gym. It will be a busy week for the Vikings in Alaska with the GNAC Cross Country Championships also held in Anchorage on Saturday, October 21 in Kincaid Park, with WWU the defending men's and women's conference champions.

 

It has been well-documented the Vikings have played one of the toughest schedules in the nation by facing 12 of 15 matches against teams listed in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll. The NCAA also backs up tough slate showing WWU as having played the sixth-toughest schedule in the nation with a past opponent winning percentage of .641 (150-84). No stranger to facing the best competition in the nation, Western finished last season with the fourth-toughest strength of schedule in the nation and had the second-toughest schedule in 2021.

 

Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2023 season:

 

 

The Vikings have won 35 of their last 37 matches on WECU Court in Carver Gym and are 66-3 since moving back into the renovated facility to start the 2017 season. Went 12-2 in home matches last season and was a perfect 12-0 in 2021. During the 24 seasons with head coach Diane Flick-Williams at the helm of the program the Vikings have combined to go 195-18 (.915) in Carver. Since debuting the new Taraflex court in 2021 the Vikings are 26-2. WWU has an all-time record of 310-84 in Carver Gym for a .787 winning percentage.

 

Thanks to a partnership with WECU and The Foundation for WWU & Alumni, all current WWU students will receive free admission to all regular-season athletic events in Carver Gym and at Harrington Field. Students just need to show their W card at the door and then head over to the WECU Student Section to cheer on the Viks.

 

The Vikings are 2-1 in five-set matches this season (all three in GNAC play) and are 31-10 when going the distance over the last nine seasons (.756 winning percentage). 

 

All home matches will stream live on YouTube via Vikings TV. Additionally, every away GNAC match will feature a webcast on YouTube produced by the visiting team. To watch WWU home matches on your Smart TV, navigate to the YouTube application and search for WWU Athletics, or for away games search for the opposing school's YouTube channel (example: Simon Fraser Athletics). All WWU links to follow the Vikings online can be found online, but be sure to bookmark the following links for easy access:

 

·         Vikings TV (WWU home matches)

·         GNAC Live Streams

·         Direct Link to watch WWU matches (wwuvikings.com/VB_Watch)

·         Direct Link to follow WWU matches via live stats (wwuvikings.com/VB_Stats)

 

Here are some newsworthy notes on the Vikings heading into this week's GNAC matches:

 

·         GNAC Standings – Currently tied for 2nd in the GNAC standings with 5-2 conference record.

·         Carver Success – Won 66 of 69 matches inside Carver Gym since the on-campus facility re-opened in 2017, which includes 2-0 record this season.

·         Winning Streak Snapped – Had five-match winning streak snapped in 3-2 loss last Saturday at MSUB.

·         Road Warriors – Started the season playing the first 10 matches of the season on the road, including trips to Southern California, Denver, Ellensburg and Nampa, Idaho…13 of first 15 matches away from Bellingham.

·         5 Set Success – Dating back to the 2015 season (last 9 seasons), WWU is a combined 31-10 (.756) in matches that go the full five sets (2-1 in 2023, 3-2 in 2022).

·         Double-Double Devyn – Devyn Oestreich has recorded six double-doubles this season, including a string of five in the last six matches with 10-or-more kills and digs…in conference matches ranks 9th in the GNAC averaging 2.83 kills per set, 12th with .208 hitting pct., 10th with 3.62 digs/set and 7th averaging 3.45 points/set.

·         Assist Leader –Adele Holland leads the team and ranks 5th in conference matches averaging 8.10 assists/set.

·         Voss' Bocks – Emily Vossenkuhl ranks 3rd in the GNAC averaging 1.16 blocks per set (all matches).

·         Young Squad – Feature a youthful roster with 12 of 14 players that have seen action this season listed as underclassmen in eligibility…seven players have made their collegiate debut this season.

·         National Ranking – Had string of 138 consecutive weeks ranked in the national top 25 snapped in September…listed No. 15 in the preseason poll.

·         Preseason All-GNAC – Junior Gabby Kepley and sophomore Devyn Oestreich were selected to the Preseason All-GNAC team.

·         Winning – Won 117 of last 147 matches dating back to the 2018 season (117-30) and 144-34 dating back to the start of the 2017 season (.809 winning pct.).

·         Always Dancing – Advanced to play in each of last 10 NCAA West Regional Championships dating back to the 2012 season…16 overall trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament since joining the ranks in 1998…played in West Regional Final in five of last six seasons (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021).

·         GNAC Champions – Won four consecutive GNAC titles from 2017-2021 and have 11 total GNAC Championship trophies…placed 2nd in the conference last season.

·         All Washington Roster – The entire 19-player roster (including redshirts) is comprised entirely of players from the state of Washington. WWU's last out-of-state player was Niki Smith (2000, 2002) from Beaverton, Oregon.

·         Vikings Leader – Head coach Diane Flick-Williams is in her 24th season leading the Vikings, with an all-time record of 511-133 (.793) at the helm of the program with 17 seasons with 20 or more wins…selected as the GNAC Coach of the Year in 2021, her 11th award…winningest coach in GNAC volleyball history.

 

Here is a look at the series history against WWU's opponent this week:

 

·         Saint Martin's: Swept the Saints last season, winning in four sets in Lacey and earning a sweep on senior night in Carver Gym…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 in the head-to-head series dating back to the 2010 season…Western has won last 22 matches vs. SMU in Bellingham.

·         Western Oregon: Swept the Wolves last season, winning in straight sets on the road and recording a 3-1 victory in Carver Gym…WWU has won last 21 matches vs. WOU and lead the all-time series 49-14…Vikings carry a 25-match home winning streak vs. the Wolves into Saturday's match.

 

Here is a look updated records for the 10 GNAC volleyball programs heading into the final week of the first half of the 18-match conference schedule: 

 

 

Parking for all WWU Volleyball home matches is free and is now located in the 19G Lot by the Student Recreation Center. Season ticket parking will be in the 9G lot. A parking map is available at wwuvikings.com.

 

Here is a match-by-match look at the 2023 season with current results and the schedule:

 

 

WWU was voted second in the 2023 GNAC preseason coaches poll receiving 85 points in a vote of the 10 conference coaches. The Vikings finished second last season with a 21-6 overall record and 16-2 league mark. Central Washington topped the preseason poll with 100 points, gathering all 10 first-place votes from the coaches. WWU is second with 85 points, followed by third-place Seattle Pacific (72) and fourth-place Simon Fraser (71). Reigning conference champion Alaska Anchorage rounds out the top five in the 10-team conference.

 

 

The Vikings 2023 schedule features nine opponents that were listed in the AVCA Preseason Poll.

 

·         #2 Concordia-St. Paul (9/8 at Colorado Premier)

·         #3 MSU Denver (9/2 at CSUSB Showcase)

·         #9 Cal State LA (9/1 at CSUSB Showcase)

·         #14 Alaska Anchorage (9/21 and10/21in GNAC play)

·         #18 Regis (8/31 at CSUSB Showcase)

·         #19 Cal State San Bernardino (8/31 at CSUSB Showcase)

·         RV Ferris State (9/8 at Colorado Premier)

·         RV Central Washington (9/14 and 11/18 in GNAC play)

·         RV Seattle Pacific (10/5 and 11/4 in GNAC play)

 

Western is led by 24th-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (511-133/.793), who has guided the Vikings to 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Championships and the West Regional title in three of the last seven seasons. Over the last 12 seasons the WWU program has built a 262-63 record for a .806 winning percentage. Flick-Williams' coaching staff includes longtime assistant James Suh (22nd season), first-year graduate assistant and former All-American setter Malia Aleaga and volunteer coaches Chris Leverenz and Brand Saindon.

 

A new volleyball-dedicated playing surface was installed in Carver Gym prior to the start of the 2021, with a Taraflex Court replacing the 21-year-old Sport Court. The new surface features a wood-colored inset and a blue outline around the court. Since debuting the new court in 2021 the Vikings 26-2.

 

The Vikings have won 117 of their last 147 matches dating back to the 2018 season (117-30) when the Vikings were the NCAA II national runner-up. WWU is also 144-34 dating back to the start of the 2017 season (.809).

 

The Vikings have made 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Championships and won four West Regional titles (2007, 2015, 2018, 2021). WWU is 26-16 all-time in 16 trips to the NCAA Tournament. WWU has recorded at least one win in 10 of 16 NCAA tournament appearances and are 4-0 all-time in national quarterfinal contests. WWU played for the national title in 2018 in Pittsburgh (lost 3-2 to Tampa) and advanced to the national semifinal (Final Four) in 2021 in Tampa, Florida. The program has hosted the NCAA II West Regional in Carver Gym twice, in 2018 and 2022.

 

The WWU volleyball program is in its 52nd season have recorded over 1,000 wins in program history, with the milestone win #1000 coming September 24, 2022 at Alaska Fairbanks. The Vikings have combined to go 1017-588-7 for a .633 winning percentage.