BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University volleyball team forced a deciding fifth set against first-place Central Washington University but dropped a 3-2 decision to the Wildcats Thursday evening on WECU Court in Carver Gym.
WWU had its four-match winning streak snapped dropping to 11-10 overall and moved into a tie for 3rd place at 10-5 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. CWU kept hold of a share of first place in the standings at 13-2 in GNAC play and 15-6 overall. Set scores were 23-25, 27-25, 10-25, 25-20, 10-15 in favor of the Wildcats.
"I am proud of the way we battled back and showed some grit getting the match to a fifth set," said WWU head coach Diane Flick-Williams. "Ultimately, we just made some untimely mistakes at unfortunate moments in the match. Our defensive effort was really good with Devyn, Delaney and Finnley leading the way."
Senior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich led the Vikings with her 10th double-double of the season recording 14 kills and a career-high 27 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Delaney Speer added a double-double with a team-best 15 kills and 17 digs. Junior opposite Janelle Grant contributed a career-best 14 kills on a .313 hitting percentage.
WWU recorded a season-high 94 digs with five players recording 10-or-more digs. In addition to the big defensive efforts by Oestreich and Speer, sophomore libero Finnley Claeys had 16 digs to extend her string of double-digit dig matches to six in a row.
The setter duo of sophomore Caroline Hansen (33 assists, 12 digs) and junior Adele Holland (21 assists, 10 digs) each recorded a double-double as well.
CWU was led by a match-high 19 kills by Marianna Payne, who finished with 20.0 points also recording a pair of block assists. Scottie Ellsworth finished with 15 kills on a .341 hitting percentage and Emma Daoud-Hebert added 10 kills and six blocks. Libero Hannah Stires led all players with 30 digs.
The match featured 28 tie scores and 12 lead changes.
The Vikings (11-10, 10-5 GNAC) play their final home match of the season Saturday hosting Northwest Nazarene with a 7 pm first serve on WECU Court in Carver Gym. Live coverage links to watch and follow the Vikings on the road are available at wwuvikings.com/Live.
Kills – Speer (15), Oestreich (14), Grant (14)
Aces – Oestreich (4), Claeys (2), Holland (1)
Blocks – Johnson (6), May (4), Grant (2)
Assists – Hansen (33), Holland (21), Vossenkuhl (4)
Digs – Oestreich (27), Speer (17), Claeys (16)
Points – Oestreich (18.0), Speer (15.5), Grant (15.0), Vossenkuhl (10.5), Johnson (10.0), May (10.0)
Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Central Washington:
|
COMPARISON
|
WWU
|
CWU
|
|
Attack Pct.
|
.220 (67-26-186)
|
.263 (62-13-186)
|
|
Kills
|
67
|
62
|
|
Assists
|
65
|
59
|
|
Service Aces
|
7
|
7
|
|
Solo Blocks
|
1
|
1
|
|
Block Assists
|
14
|
18
|
|
Total Blocks
|
8.0
|
10.0
|
|
Digs
|
94
|
86
|
|
Tie Scores: 28 Lead Changes: 12
|
Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2024 season:
|
2024 RECORD BREAKDOWN
|
|
Overall Record
|
11-10
|
|
Streak
|
L1
|
|
Home
|
6-5
|
|
Away
|
5-2
|
|
Neutral
|
0-3
|
|
GNAC Record
|
10-5
|
|
Non-Conference
|
1-5
|
|
3-Set Matches
|
7-6
|
|
4-Set Matches
|
2-1
|
|
5-Set Matches
|
2-3
|
|
Ranked Opponents
|
0-4
|
|
Winning First Set
|
9-2
|
|
Dropping First Set
|
2-8
|
|
Record by Jersey
|
|
White
|
5-3
|
|
Light Blue
|
0-4
|
|
Dark Gray
|
0-0
|
|
Navy Blue
|
6-3
|
SERIES HISTORY VS. CENTRAL WASHINGTON
The Vikings went 0-2 vs. Central Washington during the 2024 season, falling 3-2 Thursday at home and in three sets in Ellensburg. WWU has dropped the last five matches vs. CWU dating back to the opening round of the 2022 NCAA West Regional Championship in Carver Gym. The Vikings maintain the all-time series lead at 79-49-1.
Here is a match-by-match look at the 2024 season with current results and the schedule:
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
|
Score
|
Score-by-set
|
|
WWU Invitational (Bellingham, WA)
|
|
9/5
|
Sonoma State
|
W
|
3-0
|
28-26,25-18,25-22
|
|
9/6
|
MSU Denver (#7)
|
L
|
0-3
|
14-25,22-25,20-25
|
|
9/7
|
San Francisco State
|
L
|
0-3
|
15-25,18-25,21-25
|
|
CWU Invitational (Ellensburg, WA)
|
|
9/12
|
Cal State San Bernardino (#16)
|
L
|
0-3
|
17-25,23-25,18-25
|
|
9/13
|
Cal State LA (#11)
|
L
|
0-3
|
15-25,24-26,15-25
|
|
9/14
|
Cal Poly Pomona (#10)
|
L
|
0-3
|
12-25,12-25,22-25
|
|
Great Northwest Athletic Conference
|
|
9/19
|
Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
|
L
|
2-3
|
25-18,15-25,21-25,25-22,13-15
|
|
9/21
|
Alaska Anchorage (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-2
|
22-25,22-25,25-20,25-20,15-9
|
|
9/27
|
Simon Fraser (GNAC) (RV)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-19,25-21,25-21
|
|
10/3
|
@Saint Martin's (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-17,29-27,25-23
|
|
10/5
|
@Western Oregon (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-18,25-22,25-20
|
|
10/10
|
Seattle Pacific (GNAC)
|
L
|
2-3
|
25-19,25-20,23-25,21-25,12-15
|
|
10/12
|
Montana State Billings (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-21,25-17,25-20
|
|
10/17
|
@Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-18,25-20,25-20
|
|
10/19
|
@Central Washington (GNAC)
|
L
|
0-3
|
18-25,13-25,16-25
|
|
10/26
|
@Simon Fraser (GNAC)
|
L
|
1-3
|
19-25,25-21,22-25,23-25
|
|
10/31
|
Western Oregon (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-18,21-25,25-22,25-17
|
|
11/2
|
Saint Martin's (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-0
|
25-15,25-15,25-20
|
|
11/7
|
@Montana State Billings (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-1
|
25-17,18-25,25-15,25-16
|
|
11/9
|
@Seattle Pacific (GNAC)
|
W
|
3-2
|
23-25,25-17,25-18,20-25,15-7
|
|
11/14
|
Central Washington (GNAC)
|
L
|
2-3
|
23-25,27-25,10-25,25-20,10-15
|
|
11/16
|
Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)
|
|
|
7:00 pm
|
|
11/21
|
@Alaska Anchorage (GNAC)
|
|
|
11:00 am AKT
|
|
11/23
|
@Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
|
|
|
2:00 pm AKT
|
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 1,035 all-time wins (1035-602-7). 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 (528-147) the Vikings have posted a 280-77 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).
