BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University volleyball team continues its tough early-season schedule this week traveling to play in the prestigious Colorado Premier Challenge in Denver, Colorado.

 

The No. 22 nationally-ranked Vikings (0-4) are among a stacked 12-team field competing in the most prestigious NCAA Division II volleyball tournament that is co-hosted by Metropolitan State University of Denver and Regis University.

 

WWU battled four ranked opponents at the season-opening Yotes Classic Showcase in San Bernardino, California and head to Denver in seek of its first victory of the season.

 

The Vikings were led by redshirt freshman Delaney Speer who turned in an All-Tournament performance averaging 2.23 kills, 1.85 digs and 2.69 points per set. WWU featured a youthful squad to open the 2023 season with 11 of 13 players that have seen action listed as underclassmen in eligibility.

 

Western's tournament schedule in Denver opens with Ferris State (3-1) on Friday at 10 am MT and No. 3 nationally-ranked Concordia-St. Paul (4-0) at 2 pm MT later Friday afternoon. The Vikings will play a pair of to-be-determined matches on Saturday determined from Friday's pool play.

 

The Colorado Premier Challenge will complete the Vikings eight-match non-conference schedule prior to heading into 18-match GNAC slate the following week with road matches at Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene. WWU's home opener on WECU Court in Carver Gym is scheduled for Thursday, September 21 hosting defending conference champion Alaska Anchorage with first serve at 7 pm.

 

For the third consecutive season the Vikings play in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the nation at the Colorado Premier Challenge. The 12-team tournament is co-hosted by Metropolitan State University of Denver and Regis University. WWU is part of a stacked field that includes all 12 teams listed in the current AVCA Division II Coaches Pool with eight in the national top 25 and four additional teams receiving votes. Here is a look at the Vikings tournament schedule at the 2023 Colorado Premier Challenge…with Saturday's schedule determined from Friday's results in pool play:

 

 

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

 

 

Here are some newsworthy notes on the Vikings heading into the Colorado Premier Challenge:

 

• 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.
• Young Squad – Feature a youthful roster with 11 of 13 players that have seen action this season listed as underclassmen in eligibility…six players made collegiate debut last week.
• National Ranking – Ranked No. 22 in the AVCA/Taraflex DII Coaches Poll, marking 138th consecutive week to be ranked in the national top 25…listed No. 15 in the preseason poll.
• GNAC Coaches Poll – Listed No. 2 in the annual GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Preseason All-GNAC – Junior Gabby Kepley and sophomore Devyn Oestreich were selected to the Preseason All-GNAC team.
• Winning – Won 112 of last 136 matches dating back to the 2018 season (112-24) and is 139-28 dating back to the start of the 2017 season (.832 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 506-127 (.799) 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 national rankings of the 12 teams participating in the Colorado Premier Challenge, with eight teams listed in the current national top 25 and the additional four teams all receiving votes:

 

• #1 West Texas A&M (Defending National Champion)
• #2 Concordia-St. Paul
• #3 Wayne State (NE)
• #6 MSU Denver
• #13 West Florida
• #16 Cal State LA
• #19 Regis
• #22 Western Washington
• RV Ferris State
• RV Lewis
• RV Central Missouri
• RV Texas-Tyler

 

Here is a look at how WWU has stacked up against its first two opponents at the Colorado Premier Challenge:

 

• Ferris State: Vikings have won both meetings between the two programs, defeating Ferris State in straight sets last season to open the WWU Invitational…first meeting was a 3-1 Western victory over the Bulldogs in 2001 at the SPU Invitational.
• Concordia-St. Paul: Sixth meeting between the two nationally-prominent programs…Concordia-St. Paul has won all five previous matches, last with a five-set victory at the Colorado Premier Challenge last season (9/2/22)…first meeting was the 2007 NCAA II National Championship match, a 3-1 CSP victory.

 

The Vikings opened the 2023 season facing four ranked opponents at the Yotes Classic Showcase in San Bernardino, California – dropping all four matches. WWU faced No. 18 Regis (L, 3-1), No. 19 Cal State San Bernardino (L, 3-0), No. 9 Cal State LA (L, 3-0) and No. 3 MSU Denver (L, 3-0).

 

Redshirt freshman outside hitter Delaney Speer made her collegiate debut at the Yotes Showcase Classic in grand fashion, earning a spot on the seven-player All-Tournament Team. Speer started all four matches and led the team averaging 2.23 kills and 2.69 points per set. She recorded back-to-back double-digit kill matches against Regis and Cal State San Bernardino (10 kills each).

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.

 

After opening the 2023 season with 10 consecutive matches on the road, the Vikings will make their debut on WECU Court in Carver Gym on Thursday, September 21 hosting defending GNAC champion 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 are also available at wwuvikings.com/Tickets. 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.

 

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

 

 

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.

 

 

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)

 

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 (506-127/.799), 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 257-57 record for a .818 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 136 matches dating back to the 2018 season (112-24/.824) when the Vikings were the NCAA II national runner-up. WWU is also 139-28 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 1012-582-7 for a .634 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 (1012-582-7). The winner of 11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the Vikings have four of the last five GNAC titles with a 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 (506-127) the Vikings have posted a 257-57 record over the last 11 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).