FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Western Washington University volleyball team was defeated in three sets in a road match at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Thursday evening in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.
Game scores were 25-13, 25-20, 25-15 in favor of UAF with the match played on Alaska Airlines Court in the Patty Center.
The Vikings dropped to 6-12 overall and slipped into a tie for third place in the conference standings at 6-4 in the first match of the second half of the GNAC season. After winning five consecutive league matches, Western has dropped three of its last four contests.
UAF defeated the Vikings for the first time since October 11, 2008, snapping a 28-match losing streak against WWU. The Nanooks improved to 11-13 overall and 4-6 in GNAC play with their fourth win in the last six matches.
Redshirt freshman middle Emily Vossenkuhl led the Vikings with 7.5 points, recording six kills and three total blocks. Junior opposite Gabby Kepley also registered six kills and redshirt freshman outside hitter Delaney Speer tallied five kills and three digs.
Karli Nielson led UAF with nine kills, three aces and seven digs for a match-high 12.5 points. Ella Bines recorded eight kills on a .636 hitting percentage. The Nanooks recorded their best hitting percentage in conference play this season with a .329 mark and held a 7.0-to-4.0 advantage in blocks.
WWU (6-12, 6-4 GNAC) closes out its Alaska road trip Saturday with a 2 pm AKT/3 pm PT match vs. Alaska Anchorage in the Alaska Airlines Center. WWU's next home match is on Saturday, October 28 vs. Simon Fraser at 7 pm on WECU Court in Carver Gym. The complete 2023 WWU Volleyball schedule, with links to statistics, webcasts, live stats and more can be found online at wwuvikings.com/VB.
Kills – Kepley (6), Vossenkuhl (6), Speer (5)
Aces – Oestreich (1)
Blocks – Vossenkuhl (3), Kepley (2), Oestreich (1)
Assists – Holland (19), Hansen (2)
Digs – Oestreich (16), May (3), Speer (3)
Points – Vossenkuhl (7.5), Kepley (7.0), Speer (5.5), Oestreich (5.5)
Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and UAF:
|
COMPARISON
|
WWU
|
UAF
|
|
Attack Pct.
|
.130 (25-15-77)
|
.329 (39-12-82)
|
|
Kills
|
25
|
39
|
|
Assists
|
24
|
34
|
|
Service Aces
|
1
|
10
|
|
Solo Blocks
|
0
|
0
|
|
Block Assists
|
8
|
14
|
|
Total Blocks
|
4.0
|
7.0
|
|
Lead Changes: 7 Times Tied: 16
|
SERIES HISTORY VS. ALASKA FAIRBANKS
WWU had its 28-match winning streak vs. UAF snapped with the Nanooks defeating the Vikings for the first time since October 11, 2008, a 3-2 victor in Fairbanks. Western leads the all-time series 52-8 with a 42-4 mark in GNAC matches. The Vikings also had its 13-match winning streak in Fairbanks snapped.
COACH FLICK-WILLIAMS MISSES THURSDAY'S MATCH
WWU head coach Diane Flick-Williams missed Thursday's match in Fairbanks as the family celebrated the senior night of daughter Chayse Flick-Williams, a high school senior at Bellingham High School. Flick-Williams is scheduled return to coach the team Saturday in Anchorage.
Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2023 season:
|
2023 RECORD BREAKDOWN
|
|
Overall Record
|
6-12
|
|
Streak
|
L1
|
|
Home
|
3-1
|
|
Away
|
3-5
|
|
Neutral
|
0-6
|
|
GNAC Record
|
6-4
|
|
Non-Conference
|
0-8
|
|
3-Set Matches
|
2-6
|
|
4-Set Matches
|
2-4
|
|
5-Set Matches
|
2-2
|
|
Ranked Opponents
|
1-7
|
|
Winning First Set
|
4-4
|
|
Dropping First Set
|
2-8
|
|
Record by Jersey
|
|
White
|
2-3
|
|
Light Blue
|
0-3
|
|
Dark Gray
|
0-2
|
|
Navy Blue
|
4-4
|
Here is a look updated records for the 10 GNAC volleyball programs through matches played on Thursday. The Vikings are tied for 3rd in the conference standings with a 6-4 record:
|
GNAC VOLLEYBALL
|
CONF
|
PCT
|
OVERALL
|
PCT
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
NEUTRAL
|
STREAK
|
|
1.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
9-1
|
.900
|
15-3
|
.833
|
4-1
|
6-1
|
5-1
|
W3
|
|
2.
|
Simon Fraser
|
7-3
|
.700
|
12-6
|
.667
|
4-1
|
5-4
|
3-1
|
W3
|
|
3.
|
Central Washington
|
6-4
|
.600
|
12-6
|
.667
|
4-2
|
3-3
|
5-1
|
L2
|
|
|
Western Washington
|
6-4
|
.600
|
6-12
|
.333
|
3-1
|
3-5
|
0-6
|
L1
|
|
5.
|
Saint Martin's
|
5-4
|
.556
|
12-7
|
.632
|
4-1
|
4-3
|
4-3
|
W1
|
|
6.
|
Northwest Nazarene
|
5-5
|
.500
|
9-9
|
.500
|
3-2
|
3-5
|
3-2
|
W1
|
|
7.
|
Alaska Anchorage
|
4-6
|
.400
|
12-13
|
.480
|
5-4
|
4-3
|
3-6
|
L1
|
|
|
Alaska Fairbanks
|
4-6
|
.400
|
11-13
|
.458
|
6-7
|
2-3
|
3-3
|
W2
|
|
9.
|
Western Oregon
|
2-7
|
.222
|
8-9
|
.471
|
1-4
|
2-4
|
5-1
|
L4
|
|
10.
|
Montana State Billings
|
1-9
|
.100
|
3-17
|
.150
|
3-6
|
0-8
|
0-3
|
L2
|
|
This Week's GNAC Schedule
|
|
Tuesday, October 17:
at Saint Martin's 3, Linfield 0
Thursday, October 19:
at Northwest Nazarene 3, Montana State Billings 0
Simon Fraser 3, at Alaska Anchorage 1
at Alaska Fairbanks 3, Western Washington 0
Seattle Pacific 3, at Central Washington 2
Saturday, October 21:
Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene, 1 pm MT
Montana State Billings at Central Washington, 2 pm
Simon Fraser at Alaska Fairbanks, 2 pm AKT
Western Washington at Alaska Anchorage, 2 pm AKT
Western Oregon at Saint Martin's, 5 pm
|
Here is a match-by-match look at the 2023 season with current results and the schedule:
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
|
Score
|
Score-by-set
|
|
Yotes Classic Showcase (San Bernardino, CA)
|
|
8/31
|
Regis (#18)
|
L
|
3-1
|
22-25,25-20,15-25,20-25
|
|
8/31
|
Cal State San Bernardino (#19)
|
L
|
3-0
|
22-25,11-25,17-25
|
|
9/1
|
Cal State LA (#9)
|
L
|
3-0
|
17-25,15-25,18-25
|
|
9/2
|
MSU Denver (#3)
|
L
|
3-0
|
19-25,11-25,15-25
|
|
Colorado Premier Challenge (Denver, CO)
|
|
9/8
|
Ferris State (RV)
|
L
|
3-0
|
13-25,22-25,11-25
|
|
9/8
|
Concordia St. Paul (#2)
|
L
|
3-1
|
25-16,15-25,20-25,23-25
|
|
9/9
|
MSU Denver (#6)
|
L
|
3-0
|
20-25,14-25,13-25
|
|
9/9
|
Texas-Tyler (RV)
|
L
|
3-1
|
26-24,17-25,23-25,26-28
|
|
Great Northwest Athletic Conference
|
|
9/14
|
@Central Washington (#13) (GNAC)
|
L
|
3-1
|
15-25,15-25,25-22,23-25
|
|
9/16
|
@Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-2
|
18-25,19-25,25-21,25-16,15-12
|
|
9/21
|
Alaska Anchorage (RV) (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-1
|
18-25,25-23,25-20,27-25
|
|
9/23
|
Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-2
|
25-11,16-25,25-19,18-25,15-11
|
|
9/30
|
@Simon Fraser (RV) (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-22,25-22,25-22
|
|
10/5
|
@Seattle Pacific (#21) (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-22,25-20,25-22
|
|
10/7
|
@MSU Billings (GNAC)
|
L
|
3-2
|
25-16,24-26,21-25,25-22,13-15
|
|
10/12
|
Saint Martin's (GNAC)
|
L
|
3-2
|
25-22,25-23,22-25,18-25,10-15
|
|
10/14
|
Western Oregon (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-22,12-25,25-17,25-20
|
|
10/19
|
@Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
|
L
|
3-0
|
13-25,20-25,15-25
|
|
10/21
|
@Alaska Anchorage (GNAC)
|
|
|
2:00 pm AKT – Anchorage, AK
|
|
10/28
|
Simon Fraser (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Carver Gym
|
|
11/2
|
MSU Billings (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Carver Gym
|
|
11/4
|
Seattle Pacific (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Carver Gym
|
|
11/9
|
@Western Oregon (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Monmouth, OR
|
|
11/11
|
@Saint Martin's (GNAC)
|
|
|
1:00 pm – Lacey, WA
|
|
11/16
|
Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Carver Gym
|
|
11/18
|
Central Washington (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Carver Gym
|
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.
