FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Western Washington University volleyball team wrapped up the 2024 season Saturday with a hard-fought 3-0 loss at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
WWU finished the season at 12-12 overall and 11-7 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference placing 4th.
Set scores Saturday inside the Patty Center were 29-27, 28-26, 25-17 in favor of the Nanooks, who improved to 21-7 overall and finished in a tie for 2nd place in the GNAC at 13-5. The match featured 33 tie scores and 14 lead changes.
Junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich led the Vikings with a 10-kill, 12-dig double-double finishing with a team-high 12.0 points. Oestreich tallied her sixth consecutive double-double (kills/digs) and finished the season with 13 double-doubles.
Redshirt freshman middle Dani Johnson recorded nine kills on a .389 hitting percentage and contributed four blocks to finish with 11.5 points. Sophomore outside hitter Delaney Speer added eight kills and 11 digs and sophomore libero Finnley Claeys had 11 digs.
UAF was led by 12 kills from Karli Nielson and eight blocks by Kristina Head.
VIKINGS WRAP UP 2024 SEASON
WWU wrapped up the 2024 season with a 12-12 overall record and placed 4th in the GNAC standings at 11-7 in league play. The Vikings did not have a senior on the 2024 roster and will return its entire team for next season.
Kills – Oestreich (10), Johnson (9), Speer (8)
Aces – Claeys (2), Speer (1), Hansen (1)
Blocks – Vossenkuhl (5), Oestreich (4), Johnson (4)
Assists – Hansen (20), Holland (15), Vossenkuhl (2)
Digs – Oestreich (12), Speer (11), Claeys (11)
Points – Oestreich (12.0), Johnson (11.5), Speer (9.0)
Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Alaska Fairbanks:
|
COMPARISON
|
WWU
|
UAF
|
|
Attack Pct.
|
.156 (44-25-122)
|
.231 (44-16-121)
|
|
Kills
|
44
|
44
|
|
Assists
|
42
|
43
|
|
Service Aces
|
4
|
6
|
|
Solo Blocks
|
2
|
2
|
|
Block Assists
|
14
|
24
|
|
Total Blocks
|
9.0
|
14.0
|
|
Digs
|
49
|
46
|
|
Tie Scores: 33 Lead Changes: 14
|
Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2024 season:
|
2024 RECORD BREAKDOWN
|
|
Overall Record
|
12-12
|
|
Streak
|
L2
|
|
Home
|
7-5
|
|
Away
|
5-4
|
|
Neutral
|
0-3
|
|
GNAC Record
|
11-7
|
|
Non-Conference
|
1-5
|
|
3-Set Matches
|
7-8
|
|
4-Set Matches
|
2-1
|
|
5-Set Matches
|
3-3
|
|
Ranked Opponents
|
0-4
|
|
Winning First Set
|
10-2
|
|
Dropping First Set
|
2-10
|
|
Record by Jersey
|
|
White
|
5-4
|
|
Light Blue
|
1-4
|
|
Dark Gray
|
0-0
|
|
Navy Blue
|
6-4
|
2024 GNAC FINAL STANDINGS
Here is a look at the final GNAC Volleyball standings following play on Saturday with the Vikings finishing 4th in the table with an 11-7 league mark. Updated conference standings, results, schedule and statistics can be found online at GNACSports.com.
|
Rk
|
School
|
GNAC
|
Pct.
|
Overall
|
Pct.
|
Home
|
Away
|
Neutral
|
Streak
|
L10
|
|
1.
|
Central Washington
|
16-2
|
.889
|
18-6
|
.750
|
9-3
|
8-1
|
1-2
|
W8
|
9-1
|
|
2.
|
Alaska Fairbanks
|
13-5
|
.722
|
21-7
|
.750
|
9-3
|
10-3
|
2-1
|
W3
|
9-1
|
|
3.
|
Simon Fraser
|
13-5
|
.722
|
17-8
|
.680
|
8-1
|
6-4
|
3-3
|
L3
|
6-4
|
|
4.
|
Western Washington
|
11-7
|
.611
|
12-12
|
.500
|
7-5
|
5-4
|
0-3
|
L2
|
5-5
|
|
5.
|
Alaska Anchorage
|
10-8
|
.556
|
16-12
|
.571
|
6-3
|
6-6
|
4-3
|
W2
|
6-4
|
|
|
Seattle Pacific
|
10-8
|
.556
|
10-16
|
.385
|
6-3
|
4-6
|
0-7
|
W3
|
7-3
|
|
7.
|
Western Oregon
|
7-11
|
.389
|
15-12
|
.556
|
5-5
|
4-7
|
6-0
|
L3
|
4-6
|
|
8.
|
Northwest Nazarene
|
6-12
|
.333
|
9-17
|
.346
|
6-7
|
2-9
|
1-1
|
W2
|
3-7
|
|
9.
|
Saint Martin's
|
4-14
|
.222
|
6-20
|
.231
|
2-7
|
2-7
|
2-6
|
L2
|
1-9
|
|
10.
|
Montana State Billings
|
0-18
|
.000
|
7-21
|
.250
|
4-10
|
2-9
|
1-2
|
L11
|
0-10
|
|
This Week's GNAC Schedule
|
|
Thursday, November 21:
at Alaska Anchorage 3, Western Washington 0
at Northwest Nazarene 3, Western Oregon 2
at Central Washington 3, Saint Martin's 0
at Alaska Fairbanks 3, Simon Fraser 1
Saturday, November 23:
at Northwest Nazarene 3, Saint Martin's 0
at Seattle Pacific 3, Montana State Billings 1
at Alaska Fairbanks 3, Western Washington 0
at Alaska Anchorage 3, Simon Fraser 0
at Central Washington 3, Western Oregon 0
|
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)
|
W
|
3-2
|
25-12,16-25,25-23,22-25,21-19
|
|
11/21
|
@Alaska Anchorage (GNAC)
|
L
|
0-3
|
22-25,17-25,17-25
|
|
11/23
|
@Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)
|
L
|
0-3
|
27-29,26-28,17-25
|
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 completed its 54th season as a varsity intercollegiate, rising to an elite level by advancing to the NCAA Division II Championships in 10 of the last 12 seasons and 16 of the last 23 dating back to the 2001 season. The program has recorded 1,036 all-time wins (1036-604-7). The winner of 11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the Vikings have four of the last eight 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 (530-149) the Vikings have posted a 281-79 record over the last 13 seasons and played in the NCAA II West Region championship match five out of the last nine 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 nine seasons (2015, 2018, 2021).
