BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University volleyball team continues its tough non-conference schedule this weekend with three matches against top-25 ranked opponents.

 

The Vikings (1-2) travel across the state to play in the Central Washington Invitational with matches against No. 16 Cal State San Bernardino, No. 11 Cal State LA and No. 10 Cal Poly Pomona.

 

WWU opened the season going 1-2 last weekend while hosting a home tournament on WECU Court in Carver Gymnasium. The Vikings defeated Sonoma State in straight sets to open the season, then fell to No. 6 MSU Denver and San Francisco State in a pair of three-set matches.

 

The Vikings had a pair of all-tournament selections with junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich and sophomore outside hitter Delaney Speer earning honors. MSU Denver went 4-0 during the tournament to move up from No. 7 to No. 3 in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll.

 

Speer led the team with 23.5 points during the three-match tournament, averaging 3.00 kills per set and also recording 18 digs. Oestreich tallied 2.29 kills per set and led the team averaging 3.29 digs per set. 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. 

 

The CWU Invitational closes out the Vikings tough non-conference schedules that features four of six matches against ranked opponents. WWU opens the 18-match GNAC schedule next week hosting Alaska Fairbanks (Thursday, 9/19) and Alaska Anchorage (Saturday, 9/21) in 7 pm matches on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

 

 

The Vikings will play four ranked opponents during the six-match non-conference schedule this season, including three this weekend in Ellensburg at the CWU Invitational. This continues a trend where head coach Diane Flick-Williams puts together one of the toughest early-season schedules in the nation. Over the last nine seasons the Vikings have played at least four ranked opponents during the non-conference portion of the schedule eight times, including six during the 2023 season and five in 2022, 2018, 2016 and 2015.

 

The Vikings (1-2) close out the non-conference portion of their early-season schedule next weekend with three matches in the CWU Invitational inside Nicholson Pavilion in Ellensburg, WWU is scheduled to face three nationally-ranked opponents matching up against No. 8 Cal State San Bernardino (Thursday, 2 pm), No. 1 Cal State LA (Friday, 2 pm) and No. 21 Cal Poly Pomona (Saturday, 11 am). Fans can follow all the road matches with direct links online at wwuvikings.com/Live.

 

The Vikings open the 18-match Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule next week hosting the Alaska schools. WWU was picked to finish 3rd in the conference standings via the preseason coaches poll after going 12-6 in GNAC play last season. The Vikings won four consecutive league titles from 2017-21 (no GNAC season in 2020) and placed 2nd in 2022.

 

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.

 

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

 

 

Here is a look at the schedule for the 2024 CWU Invitational hosted by Central Washington University inside Nicholson Pavilion.

 

 

The Vikings 2024 schedule features five opponents listed in the AVCA Preseason Poll:

 

• #1 Cal State LA
• #7 MSU Denver
• #8 Cal State San Bernardino
• #21 Cal Poly Pomona
• #22 Central Washington

 

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)

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

 

Western is led by 25th-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (519-139/.789), 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 270-69 record for a .796 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 were picked to finish 3rd in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll and received votes in the AVCA Preseason NCAA Division II Poll with 44 votes (No. 44 in the nation). Western is coming off a 3rd-place finish in the GNAC last season with a 12-6 conference record and 12-14 overall record.

 

 

Here is a look at the complete 2024 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team with the Vikings featuring three selections – junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich, sophomore middle Emily Vossenkuhl and sophomore outside hitter Delaney Speer. WWU tied Central Washington for the most players on the list voted on by the conference's 10 head coaches.

 

 

The Vikings have built a strong home court advantage on WECU Court in Carver Gym with an all-time 315-89 record in the venue for a .780 winning percentage. Over the last eight seasons since moving back into the renovated gym, Western is 71-8 in home contests in Carver. During the 25-year career of head coach Diane Flick-Williams, the Vikings have gone 200-23 (.897).

 

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 1,025 all-time wins (1025-594-7). The winner of 11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the Vikings have four of the last seven 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 25th-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (519-139) the Vikings have posted a 270-69 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).