July 30, 2003
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -
The Western volleyball team enters the 2003 season riding a 41-match conference winning streak, the longest such active streak in NCAA Division II volleyball.
Western has rolled through the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with perfect 18-0 records the last two seasons after closing the 2000 campaign with five consecutive victories in Pacific West Conference action.
The streak is already the seventh longest in the history of NCAA II. Another 18-0 GNAC campaign would leave the Vikings tied for second at 59 straight wins with Mercy College, N.Y., which was undefeated in New York Collegiate Athletic Conference play for nearly four years prior to losing its opening conference match of the 2003 season.
The longest streak in NCAA II is the 74 victories posted by University of North Alabama in Gulf South Conference play from Sept. 6, 1996 to Oct. 29, 1999.
Western has swept 19 of its 41 victories, including 11 of 18 last season. Only six matches have gone to a fifth game, four of those in 2001. In three of the matches, the fifth game was decided by just two points, including a triumph at Northwest Nazarene last season in which the Vikings trailed, 10-8, in the final game.
In 2001, the Vikings lost the first two games on back-to-back nights of an Alaska road trip but rallied to win both times.
NCAA II Top 10 Conference Winning Streaks
74 North Alabama, Sept. 6, 1996-Oct. 26, 1999, Gulf South
59 Mercy NY, 1998-Sept. 18, 2002, New York Collegiate Athletic Conference
51 Dowling NY, Sept. 14, 1991-Oct. 7, 1994, New York Collegiate Athletic
Conference
50 North Dakota State, Nov. 11, 1989-Oct. 23, 1992, North Central
43 Northern Michigan, Oct. 28, 1994-Nov. 7, 1996, Great Lakes Intercollegiate
42 Northern Michigan, Sept. 18, 1992-Oct. 8, 1994, Great Lakes Intercollegiate
41 WESTERN WASHINGTON, 2000-current entering 2003, Great Northwest Athletic
39 Henderson State, Oct. 2, 1994-Nov. 17 1996, Gulf South
36 Nebraska-Kearney, Oct. 20, 1989-Nov. 8, 1996, Rocky Mountain Athletic
34 Minnesota-Duluth, Oct. 14m 1995-Sept. 30, 1998, Northern Sun
2000
Oct. 26 at Northwest Nazarene 3-1 (11-15, 15-11, 17-15, 15-3)
Oct. 28 at Seattle 3-0 (15-6, 15-7, 15-10)
Oct. 31 SEATTLE PACIFIC 3-1 (11-15, 15-8, 15-10, 15-9)
Nov. 3 CENTRAL WASHINGTON 3-0(15-3, 15-4, 15-12)
Nov. 4 at Saint Martin's 3-2(15-5, 8-15, 11-15, 15-4, 16-14)
2001
Sept. 6 at Humboldt State 3-0 (30-22, 30-19, 30-28)
Sept. 8 at Western Oregon 3-0 (30-20, 30-28, 30-21)
Sept. 15 SAINT MARTIN'S 3-0 (30-16, 30-22, 30-26)
Sept. 20 at Northwest Nazarene 3-1 (30-25, 30-21, 27-30, 30-23)
Sept. 22 at Seattle 3-1 (23-30, 30-23, 30-23, 30-20)
Sept. 28 at Alaska Fairbanks 3-2 (26-30, 23-30, 35-33, 30-20, 15-11)
Sept. 29 at Alaska Anchorage 3-2 (26-30, 17-30, 30-25, 34-32, 15-11)
Oct. 2 CENTRAL WASHINGTON 3-0 (30-18, 32-30, 30-20)
Oct. 6 SEATTLE PACIFIC 3-1 (30-24, 26-30, 30-23, 30-28)
Oct. 12 WESTERN OREGON 3-2 (30-12, 30-25, 16-30, 26-30, 15-13)
Oct. 13 HUMBOLDT STATE 3-0 (30-20, 30-21, 31-29)
Oct. 19 at Saint Martin's 3-1 (30-27, 30-24, 19-30, 30-26)
Oct. 20 at Central Washington 3-1 (30-19, 32-30, 29-31, 30-15)
Oct. 26 NORTHWEST NAZARENE 3-1 (30-25, 25-30, 30-25, 30-27)
Oct. 27 SEATTLE 3-1 (31-29, 30-22, 26-30, 30-10)
Nov. 2 ALASKA ANCHORAGE 3-0 (30-23, 30-21, 31-29)
Nov. 3 ALASKA FAIRBANKS 3-2 (30-24, 27-30, 22-30, 30-22, 15-8)
Nov. 10 at Seattle Pacific 3-1 (32-34, 30-28, 30-25, 30-27)
2002
Sept. 14 at Seattle Pacific 3-0 (30-15, 30-18, 30-22)
Sept. 20 at Saint Martin's 3-0 (30-17, 30-16, 30-22)
Sept. 21 at Central Washington 3-1 (25-30, 30-19, 30-21, 35-33)
Sept. 27 ALASKA FAIRBANKS 3-0 (30-28, 30-22, 30-23)
Sept. 28 ALASKA ANCHORAGE 3-0 (34-32, 30-17, 30-24)
Oct. 3 at Seattle 3-0 (30-26, 30-28, 30-27)
Oct. 5 at Northwest Nazarene 3-2 (30-28, 22-30, 30-15, 20-30, 15-13)
Oct. 11 WESTERN OREGON 3-0 (30-21, 30-22, 30-20)
Oct. 12 HUMBOLDT STATE 3-0 (30-24, 30-15, 30-18)
Oct. 18 CENTRAL WASHINGTON 3-0 (30-27, 30-20, 30-15)
Oct. 19 SAINT MARTIN'S 3-0 (30-19, 30-21, 30-24)
Oct. 25 at Alaska Anchorage 3-1 (30-28, 28-30, 30-27, 30-26)
Oct. 26 at Alaska Fairbanks 3-1 (30-22, 30-24, 25-30, 30-16)
Nov. 1 NORTHWEST NAZARENE 3-1 (21-30, 30-27, 30-21, 30-12)
Nov. 2 SEATTLE 3-1 (30-21, 30-20, 28-30, 30-28)
Nov. 7 at Humboldt State 3-1 (29-31, 30-28, 30-18, 30-24)
Nov. 9 at Western Oregon 3-0 (30-13, 30-12, 30-26)
Nov. 16 SEATTLE PACIFIC 3-0 (30-13), 30-21, 30-17)
