ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Western Washington University volleyball team opened play at the CWU Invitational Thursday falling to No. 16 nationally-ranked Cal State San Bernardino in three sets.

The Vikings dropped to 1-3 on the season with the 25-17, 25-23, 25-18 defeat against the Coyotes inside Nicholson Pavilion on the Central Washington University campus. WWU has played a top 25 ranked opponent in two of its first four matches of the season.

Sophomore opposite Anuhea Lopez led the Vikings with a career-high seven kills on a .636 attack percentage. Junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich tallied a team-high 8.5 points behind six kills, two aces and 14 digs. Sophomore libero Finnley Claeys had 11 digs and setters Caroline Hansen (14 assists) and Adele Holland (13 assists) ran the offense.

CSUSB (3-2) was led by a match-high 18 kills on a .471 attack percentage by Ashley Robinson. 

The match featured 28 tie scores and 10 lead changes. WWU held a 22-21 lead in the second set before CSUSB went on a 4-1 run to go up 2-0 in the match. 

The Vikings (1-3) have two remaining matches over the weekend at the CWU Invitational inside Nicholson Pavilion in Ellensburg. WWU takes on No. 11 and defending national champion Cal State LA Friday at 2 pm and closes out the non-conference portion of the schedule Saturday facing No. 10 Cal Poly Pomona at 11 am.  Fans can follow all the road matches with direct links online at wwuvikings.com/Live.

Kills – Lopez (7), Oestreich (6), Speer (6)

Aces – Oestreich (2), Speer (1), Vossenkuhl (1)

Blocks – Vossenkuhl (2), Oestreich (1), May (1)

Assists – Hansen (14), Holland (13), Oestreich (1)

Digs – Oestreich (14), Claeys (11), Holland (6)

Points – Oestreich (8.5), Speer (7.5), Lopez (7.0), Tri (5.5)

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Cal State San Bernardino:

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

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

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 (1025-595-7). 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 (519-140) the Vikings have posted a 270-70 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).