BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University volleyball team battled No. 7 nationally-ranked MSU Denver Friday night, falling in straight sets to wrap up the second day of the 2024 WWU Invitational on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

The Vikings evened their season record at 1-1 after dropping the match to MSUD by scores of 25-14, 25-22, 25-20. WWU held leads in the second and third sets, but the Roadrunners erased the deficit each time to earn the victory to improve to 3-0 on the season. The match featured 27 tie scores and 10 lead changes.

Junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich led Western with 10.5 points while finishing one kill short of a double-double. Oestreich had nine kills to go with a team-high 10 digs while hitting at a .241 clip. Sophomore setter Caroline Hansen led all players with three service aces and has totaled seven aces through the first two matches.

MSU Denver outside hitter Annika Helf led the Roadrunners with a 13-kill, 12-dig double-double while hitting .556. Riley Anderson added 12 kills (.500) and Maddy Williams also reached double-digits in kills with 10. MSUD combined to hit .374 as a team while remaining undefeated during the opening week of the season.
 

The Vikings (1-1) close out the WWU Invitational Saturday evening taking on San Francisco State (0-1) with first serve scheduled for 7 pm on WECU Court in Carver Gym. MSU Denver opens play Saturday taking on SFSU at 11 am, followed by Central Washington vs. Sonoma State at 2 pm. All games will stream free on YouTube and feature live statistical updates with links available at WWUVikings.com/Live.

Here is a look at the schedule and results for the 2024 WWU Volleyball Invitational:

Kills – Oestreich (9), May (3), Grant (3)

Aces – Hansen (3), May (2), Oestreich (1)

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

Assists – Holland (16), Hansen (6), Vossenkuhl (1)

Digs – Oestreich (10), May (5), Claeys (5)

Points – Oestreich (10.5), May (5.5), Vossenkuhl (4.5)

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and MSU Denver:

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

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 (1025-593-7). 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 (519-138) the Vikings have posted a 270-68 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).