BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University volleyball team opens a three-match road trip this week to close out the first half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference 18-match schedule.

 

WWU travels to play at Northwest Nazarene in a rare Thursday afternoon match in Nampa, Idaho (3:30 pm MT/2:30 pm PT) and then makes the trek across the mountain pass to Ellensburg to take on in-state rival Central Washington on Saturday night inside Nicholson Pavilion (7 pm).

 

The Vikings are in 3rd place in the GNAC standings with a 5-2 league record and have won five of their last six matches. WWU is 6-7 overall during the 2024 season after playing a tough non-conference schedule featuring four of six matches against top-25 nationally-ranked opponents.

 

Western is coming off a 1-1 performance at home last week, dropping a five-set match to Seattle Pacific and rebounding with a 3-0 sweep over Montana State Billings. The Vikings trail Simon Fraser (6-1 GNAC) and Central Washington (7-0 GNAC) in the GNAC standings with the first half of the conference schedule set to wrap up this weekend.

 

In seven conference matches sophomore middle Emily Vossenkuhl is listed 3rd in the conference with a .362 hitting percentage and 6th averaging 1.11 blocks per set. Junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich is averaging 3.78 digs and 2.81 kills per set in conference matches, the only player in the GNAC to be listed in the top 10 in both statistical categories. 

 

Following the road trip to Nampa and Ellensburg, the Vikings close out the three-match stretch away from Bellingham playing October 26 against Simon Fraser on Burnaby Mountain in West Gym (7 pm). Western's next home matches on WECU Court in Carver Gym are scheduled for October 31 vs. Western Oregon and November 2 vs. Saint Martin's. 

 

 

Junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich ranks 7th in the conference averaging 3.55 digs per set and is 11th averaging 2.57 kills per set. Oestreich is one of just three players in the GNAC to rank in the top 15 in each statistical category, and just a few kills off of being the only player in the top 10. She joins Jahsita Fa'ali'I of Montana State Billings (2.84 kills, 2.88 digs) and Maren Machado of Northwest Nazarene (2.55 kills, 3.44 digs) as the only conference players to appear in each the top 15 in the GNAC in kills and digs per set. In conference only matches, Oestreich is 8th averaging 2.81 kills and 9th with 3.78 digs per set as the only player to be listed in the top 10 in both statistical categories.

 

In conference matches the Vikings have recorded a team hitting percentage of .220 to rank 4th in the GNAC. Individually sophomore Emily Vossenkuhl (3rd, .362) and redshirt freshman Hayli Tri (6th, .311) both rank in the top 10, with junior pin hitter Janelle Grant (15th, .262) and Devyn Oestreich (17th, .246) also in the top 20.

 

Sophomore libero Finnley Claeys ranks 8th in the GNAC averaging 3.81 digs per set in conference matches. Overall Claeys is averaging 3.36 digs per set while starting all 13 matches at libero.

 

Following the road trip to play at Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington, the Vikings remain on the road next week crossing the border to face Simon Fraser on Saturday, October 26 at 7 pm in West Gym. WWU's next home matches are scheduled for October 31 (Western Oregon) and November 2 (Saint Martin's).

 

Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2024 season:

 

 

Here is a look at the series history between the Vikings and their opponents this week:

 

·         Northwest Nazarene: WWU carries a 12-match winning streak against NNU into Thursday's match in Nampa…defeated NNU in five sets on the road last season recording a reverse sweep (18-25,19-25,25-21,25-16,15-12) and won in four sets in Bellingham…WWU leads the all-time series 47-9 in the 56 head-to-head meetings dating back to 1991…Western is 21-3 all-time in matches played in Nampa, with a 5-match winning streak since 2018.

·         Central Washington: WWU has lots the last three matches vs. CWU dating back to the opening round of the 2022 NCAA West Regional hosted in Carver Gym…the Wildcats won both matches last season with a 3-1 victory in Ellensburg and 3-0 in Bellingham…first three-match winning streak for CWU in the series since winning four straight in 2004-05…WWU is 79-47-1 all-time vs. CWU.

 

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: CWU 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)

 

Western's roster does not feature a senior in 2024, with the active list of players including four redshirt freshman, five sophomores and six juniors.

 

Here is a look at the updated GNAC Volleyball standings and weekly schedule heading into the fifth week of the conference slate. Updated conference standings, results, schedule and statistics can be found online at GNACSports.com.

 

 

Saturday will be the second of four WWU Volleyball Kids Clinics with all interested players 8th-grade or younger invited to attend the free clinic in Carver Gym. Prior to every Saturday home match during the 2024 season, the WWU Volleyball program will host the clinic from 11 am – 12 pm. Clinic attendees will receive a free ticket for the match that evening. No advance registration needed…just come to campus, park in the C lots and learn from great student-athletes and coaches.

 

Tickets for all home matches can be purchased at the Carver Gym Box Office beginning one hour prior to the first match of the day. Current WWU students gain free admission to all home events in 2024-25 by showing their active W card at the entrance. Free fan parking is available in the 19G and C lots on campus beginning one hour prior to each home match in Carver Gym.

 

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 again in 2024-25. 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 have built a strong home court advantage on WECU Court in Carver Gym with an all-time 318-91 record in the venue for a .778 winning percentage. Over the last eight seasons since moving back into the renovated gym, Western is 74-10 in home contests in Carver. During the 25-year career of head coach Diane Flick-Williams, the Vikings have gone 203-25 (.890).

 

Here is a match-by-match look at the 2024 season with current results and the schedule:

 

 

Junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich was selected to the CWU Invitational All-Tournament team last week for her outstanding play during the three-day tournament in Ellensburg. Oestreich averaged 2.00 kills and 3.00 digs per set in three matches against nationally-ranked opponents. She also earned all-tournament honors with Delaney Speer during the season-opening WWU Invitational.

 

WWU outside hitters Devyn Oestreich and Delaney Speer earned a spot on the 2024 WWU Invitational All-Tournament Team. Speer averaged 3.00 kills and 2.57 digs per set while leading the team with 23.5 total points. Oestreich tallied 2.29 kills per set and led the team with 3.29 digs per set for 20.0 total points.

 

Western is led by 25th-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (524-144/.784), who has guided the Vikings to the NCAA Division II Championships in 10 of the last 11 seasons and the West Regional title in three of the last eight seasons. Over the last 13 seasons the WWU program has built a 275-74 record for a .788 winning percentage. Flick-Williams' coaching staff includes first-year assistant Sammie Worley, first-year graduate assistant and former All-American outside hitter Gabby Gunterman, student assistant and former Viking middle Karli Tri and volunteer coaches Chris Leverenz and Brand Saindon.

 

The Vikings have appeared in the NCAA Division II Championships in 10 of the last 11 seasons 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.

 

Fans can follow WWU Volleyball online at WWUVikings.com/VB, and via social media on 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 54th season as a varsity intercollegiate sport in 2024, rising to an elite level by advancing to the NCAA Division II Championships in 10 of the last 11 seasons and 16 of the last 22 dating back to the 2001 season. The program has recorded 1,030 all-time wins (1030-599-7). The winner of 11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the Vikings have four of the last seven 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 25th-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (524-144) the Vikings have posted a 275-74 record over the last 13 seasons and played in the NCAA II West Region championship match five out of the last eight seasons, 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 eight seasons (2015, 2018, 2021).