BILLINGS, Mont. – The Western Washington University volleyball team had its five-match winning streak snapped Saturday falling to Montana State Billings in five sets Saturday afternoon in Alterowitz Gym.
The Vikings were on a roll winning their last five Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches rising to second place in the early-season standings, but dropped the five-setter 25-16, 24-26, 21-25, 25-22, 13-15 to the Yellowjackets. MSUB had its 14-match losing streak and 25-match GNAC losing come to an end improving to 3-15 this season.
Redshirt freshman middle Emily Vossenkuhl recorded a career-high 16 kills on a .467 hitting percentage, also adding four blocks for 18.0 total points. Outside hitters Delaney Speer (13 kills, 12 digs) and Devyn Oestreich (12 kills, 17 digs) each tabbed a double-double. Sophomore setter Adele Holland added a 41-assist, 14-dig double-double for Western.
MSUB was led by a match-high 19 kills from Olivia Schwartz and a near triple-double effort from setter Emma Fa'alogo who registered 44 assists, seven kills and nine digs.
WWU took the opening set 25-16 to go up 1-0 in the match, but the Yellowjackets stormed back winning the second (26-24) and third (25-21) sets to move ahead 2-1. The Vikings pushed the match to a deciding fifth set by winning the fourth stanza 25-22 and held a 10-8 lead in the final set. With Western leading 12-11, MSUB went on a 4-1 run to end the match for the 3-2 victory.
WWU (5-10, 5-2 GNAC) returns home next week with a pair of GNAC matches hosting Saint Martin's on October 12 and Western Oregon on October 14, with both conference matches featuring a 7 pm first serve on WECU Court in Carver Gym. The first 350 students (FREE ADMISSION) at the match for Thursday's Blue Out will receive a special shirt to wear all season long in the student section. The complete 2023 WWU Volleyball schedule, with links to statistics, webcasts, live stats and more can be found online at wwuvikings.com/VB.
Kills – Vossenkuhl (16), Speer (13), Oestreich (12)
Aces – Kepley (2), VanderYacht (2), Claeys (2)
Blocks – Tri (5), Kepley (4), Vossenkuhl (4)
Assists – Holland (41), Claeys (4), Hansen (4)
Digs – Oestreich (17), Holland (14), Speer (12)
Points – Vossenkuhl (18.0), Speer (15.5), Oestreich (13.0), Kepley (10.5)
Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and MSUB:
|
COMPARISON
|
WWU
|
MSUB
|
|
Attack Pct.
|
.181 (61-30-171)
|
.198 (62-28-172)
|
|
Kills
|
61
|
62
|
|
Assists
|
52
|
51
|
|
Service Aces
|
9
|
5
|
|
Solo Blocks
|
1
|
1
|
|
Block Assists
|
18
|
16
|
|
Total Blocks
|
10.0
|
9.0
|
|
Lead Changes: 6 Times Tied: 20
|
SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU BILLINGS
WWU had its 15-match winning streak vs. MSUB snapped. The Vikings lead the all-time series 32-2 with a 14-2 record inside Alterowitz Gym. WWU had won 45 of last 46 sets vs. the Yellowjackets dating back to the 2014 season.
Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2023 season:
|
2023 RECORD BREAKDOWN
|
|
Overall Record
|
5-10
|
|
Streak
|
L1
|
|
Home
|
2-0
|
|
Away
|
3-4
|
|
Neutral
|
0-6
|
|
GNAC Record
|
5-2
|
|
Non-Conference
|
0-8
|
|
3-Set Matches
|
2-5
|
|
4-Set Matches
|
1-4
|
|
5-Set Matches
|
2-1
|
|
Ranked Opponents
|
1-7
|
|
Winning First Set
|
3-3
|
|
Dropping First Set
|
2-7
|
|
Record by Jersey
|
|
White
|
2-2
|
|
Light Blue
|
0-3
|
|
Dark Gray
|
0-2
|
|
Navy Blue
|
3-3
|
Here is a look at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings following Saturday's early matches, with Alaska Anchorage and Western Oregon still to play tonight. WWU is tied for second in the standings through the first four weeks of conference play with a 5-2 GNAC record.
|
GNAC VOLLEYBALL
|
CONF
|
PCT
|
OVERALL
|
PCT
|
HOME
|
AWAY
|
NEUTRAL
|
STREAK
|
|
1.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
7-1
|
.875
|
13-3
|
.813
|
3-1
|
5-1
|
5-1
|
W1
|
|
2.
|
Central Washington
|
5-2
|
.714
|
11-4
|
.733
|
4-1
|
2-2
|
5-1
|
W3
|
|
|
Western Washington
|
5-2
|
.714
|
5-10
|
.333
|
2-0
|
3-4
|
0-6
|
L1
|
|
4.
|
Saint Martin's
|
4-3
|
.571
|
10-6
|
.625
|
3-1
|
3-2
|
4-3
|
W2
|
|
|
Simon Fraser
|
4-3
|
.571
|
9-6
|
.600
|
2-1
|
4-4
|
3-1
|
L1
|
|
6.
|
Northwest Nazarene
|
3-4
|
.429
|
7-8
|
.467
|
2-2
|
2-4
|
3-2
|
L2
|
|
7.
|
Western Oregon
|
2-4
|
.333
|
8-6
|
.571
|
1-3
|
2-2
|
5-1
|
L1
|
|
|
Alaska Anchorage
|
2-4
|
.333
|
10-11
|
.476
|
4-2
|
3-3
|
3-6
|
L2
|
|
9.
|
Alaska Fairbanks
|
2-5
|
.286
|
9-12
|
.429
|
4-6
|
2-3
|
3-3
|
L1
|
|
10.
|
Montana State Billings
|
1-7
|
.125
|
3-15
|
.167
|
3-6
|
0-6
|
0-3
|
W1
|
|
This Week's GNAC Schedule
|
|
Thursday, October 5:
Western Washington 3, at Seattle Pacific
at Saint Martin's 3, Alaska Anchorage 1
Simon Fraser 3, at Montana State Billings 0
Alaska Fairbanks 3, at Western Oregon 0
Saturday, October 7:
at Montana State Billings 3, Western Washington 2
at Central Washington 3, Northwest Nazarene 1
at Saint Martin's 3, Alaska Fairbanks 0
at Seattle Pacific 3, Simon Fraser 0
Alaska Anchorage at Western Oregon, 7 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)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Carver Gym
|
|
10/14
|
Western Oregon (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm – Carver Gym
|
|
10/19
|
@Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm AKT – Fairbanks, AK
|
|
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.
The WWU Volleyball program is in its 52nd season as a varsity intercollegiate sport in 2023, 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 1,016 all-time wins (1016-588-7). 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 24th-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (511-133) the Vikings have posted a 262-63 record over the last 12 seasons 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).
