BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University volleyball team stormed back from an 0-2 deficit to record a reverse sweep with a 3-2 victory over Alaska Anchorage Saturday evening in front of a loud crowd of 991 fans at WECU Court in Carver Gym.

After dropping the first two sets 25-22, WWU stormed back with matching 25-20 victories in the 3rd and 4th sets to force the deciding 5th set. Just two days after falling in a grueling five-set match to Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday, Western took control of the final set on the way to the 15-9 win to seal the match victory snapping a six-match losing streak.

WWU improved to 2-6 overall after playing a tough non-conference schedule with four top 25 opponents and evented its early-season mark at 1-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The reverse sweep (winning the last three sets) as the first for WWU since last September at Northwest Nazarene and the first at home since May 1, 2021 vs. Central Washington. UAA dropped to 6-6 overall and 0-2 in GNAC play.

"I am proud of the fight our team showed to come back against a good Anchorage team," said WWU head coach Diane Flick-Williams. "Our middles came alive and were a big force at the net. Caroline and Adele ran a great offense and distributed the ball well. Our serve-receive of Finnley, Devyn and Delaney were steady down the stretch leading to a great team effort and comeback victory."

Sophomore outside hitter Delaney Speer paced the Vikings balanced attack with a 15-kill, 17-dig double-double and junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich added 12 kills, 16 digs and four blocks. Sophomore middle Emily Vossenkuhl had a match-high eight blocks to go along with 12 kills on a .385 hitting percentage. Redshirt freshman middle Hayli Tri tallied seven kills on a .500 hitting percentage and recorded three block assists.

Sophomore libero Finnley Claeys recorded a career night with match highs in digs (29) and also had three service aces. Junior setter Adele Holland had 35 assists to go with eight digs and sophomore setter Caroline Hansen sparked the team in the fourth and fifth sets with 15 assists.

UAA was led by 24 digs from libero Madison Galloway and an 11-kill, 15-dig double-double by Tia Allen. 

WWU recorded an 11.0-to-8.0 advantage in total blocks. The match featured 10 tie scores and five lead changes.

The Vikings (2-6, 1-1 GNAC) close out a three-game homestand to open GNAC play next Friday hosting Simon Fraser at 7 pm on WECU Court in Carver Gym. The game will feature a Welcome Back Students them with the first 300 current Western students receiving a scarf courtesy of WECU. Tickets for all home matches can be purchased in advance at wwuvikings.com/Tickets. All current WWU students will again receive free admission for all home regular-season athletic events in 2024-25.

Kills – Speer (15), Oestreich (12), Vossenkuhl (12)

Aces – Claeys (3), Oestreich (2), Speer (2)

Blocks – Vossenkuhl (8), Oestreich (4), Speer (3)

Assists – Holland (35), Hansen (15), Grant (6)

Digs – Claeys (29), Speer (17), Oestreich (16)

Points – Speer (18.5), Vossenkuhl (18.0), Oestreich (16.0), May (10.5)

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Alaska Anchorage:

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

The Vikings have won the last three matches vs. UAA after sweeping the Seawolves last season and now lead the all-time series 41-21. WWU has won 10 of the last 14 in the series and is 5-2 in the last seven matches. The Vikings improved to 17-8 all-time vs. UAA in matches played in Bellingham.

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 1,026 all-time wins (1026-598-7). 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 (520-143) the Vikings have posted a 271-73 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).