BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The youth movement for the Western Washington University Volleyball program officially begins this week.

 

After having eight players graduate following the 2022 season that resulted in a 10th consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships, the new-look Vikings feature a roster filled with underclassman heading into the new season. The 14-player active roster includes five redshirt freshmen that are set to make their collegiate debuts, seven sophomores and just two upperclassmen with a junior and a senior.

 

The Vikings will open the season with a tough schedule that includes 10 consecutive road matches and likely nine consecutive matches against teams listed in the AVCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll. WWU enters the season ranked No. 15 nationally and listed No. 2 in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

 

The journey begins this week with four matches at the Yotes Classic Showcase hosted by Cal State San Bernardino. WWU will play four nationally-ranked top 25 programs facing No. 18 Regis, No. 19 Cal State San Bernardino, No. 9 Cal State LA and No. 3 MSU Denver.

 

"We have worked hard during the preseason to identify who we are as a team and embrace this youth movement," said WWU head coach Diane Flick-Williams, who enters her 24th season as the Vikings head coach. "We have a talented roster that just happens to be filled with a lot of freshman and sophomores. We have a very tough schedule to open the season, but that is all part of the process of testing ourselves heading into conference play. I am looking forward to seeing this team compete to open the season."

 

After opening the 2023 season with 10 consecutive matches on the road, the Vikings will make its debut on WECU Court in Carver Gym on Thursday, September 21 hosting defending GNAC champion Alaska Anchorage.

 

WWU opens the regular-season schedule begins with the three-day, 12-match Yotes Classic Showcase held August 31-September 2 in San Bernadino, California. WWU will face a nationally-prominent field battling #18 Regis, #19 Cal State San Bernadino, #9 Cal State LA and #3 MSU Denver in the tournament. Here is a look at the tournament schedule for the Vikings at the Yotes Classic Showcase:

 

 

Here is a look at how WWU has stacked up against its four opponents at the Yotes Classic Showcase:

 

• Regis: WWU is 1-1 all-time vs. the Rangers…defeated Regis 3-1 last season at the WWU Volleyball Invite.
• Cal State San Bernardino: CSUSB leads all-time series 14-7…Vikings have won four of last six matches.
• Cal State LA: WWU leads series 8-5 with current 5-match winning streak dating back to 2009 season.
• MSU Denver: WWU leads series 4-1 with current three-match winning streak…last meeting was five-set WWU victory during second match of 2021 season.

 

Here are some newsworthy notes on the Vikings heading into the season-opening tournament at the Yotes Classic Showcase this week:

 

• Road Warriors – Will start the season playing the first 10 matches of the 2023 season on the road, including trips to Southern California, Denver, Ellensburg and Nampa, Idaho.
• Preseason All-GNAC – Junior Gabby Kepley and sophomore Devyn Oestreich were selected to the Preseason All-GNAC team.
• National Ranking – Ranked No. 15 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, marking 137th consecutive week to be ranked in the national top 25.
• GNAC Coaches Poll – Listed No. 2 in the annual GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Winning – Won 112 of last 132 matches dating back to the 2018 season (112-20) and is 139-24 dating back to the start of the 2017 season (.853 winning pct.).
• Carver Success – Won 64 of 67 matches inside Carver Gym since the on-campus facility re-opened in 2017. 
• Tough Schedule – Scheduled to play nine opponents and 12 matches against teams listed in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll (including teams receiving votes).
• 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).
• 5 Set Success – Dating back to the 2015 season (last 8 seasons), WWU is a combined 29-9 (.763) in matches that go the full five sets (3-2 in 2022).
• 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 506-123 (.804) 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.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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WWU is scheduled to host nine Great Northwest Athletic Conference home matches this season on WECU Court in Carver Gym. The home opener is scheduled for Thursday, September 21 with the Vikings hosting conference rival Alaska Anchorage.

 

Season tickets for the Vikings nine home matches are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the WWU Box Office at (360) 650-6103. Single-game tickets will go on sale in early September. New for the 2023-24 season for all intercollegiate sports will be FREE STUDENT TICKETS at all events! The complete 2022 WWU Volleyball schedule can be viewed online and bookmarked for easy access at wwuvikings.com/23_VB.

 

WWU has been 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.

 

 

WWU enters the 2023 season ranked No. 15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Coaches Poll, marking the 10th consecutive season the Vikings have bee listed in the national preseason top 25. Western has a string of being ranked in 137 consecutive polls.

 

 

The Vikings 2023 schedule features nine opponents 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)

 

WWU went 12-2 in home matches on WECU Court in Carver Gym last season, after recording a perfect 12-0 record last season. The Vikings have won 33 of their last 35 home matches and are 64-3 since moving back into the renovated facility to start the 2017 season. During the 23 seasons with head coach Diane Flick-Williams at the helm of the program the Vikings have combined to go 193-17 (.919) in Carver. Since debuting the new Taraflex court in 2021 the Vikings are 24-2. WWU has an all-time record of 308-84 in Carver Gym for a .786 winning percentage.

 

Western is led by 24th-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (506-123/.804), 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 11 seasons the WWU program has built a 257-53 record for a .829 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.

 

The Vikings have won 112 of their last 132 matches dating back to the 2018 season (112-120/.848) when the Vikings were the NCAA II national runner-up. WWU is also 139-24 dating back to the start of the 2017 season.

 

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 1012-578-7 for a .636 winning percentage.

 

The WWU Volleyball program enters 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 1,012 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).