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BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Coming off a pair of 5-set matches to open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, the Vikings are back in action this week hosting Simon Fraser in a Friday night contest on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

The Vikings will help cap an exciting week on campus with the start of the fall quarter, welcoming back students into Carver Gym for Friday's 7 pm match vs. the Red Leafs. First serve is scheduled for 7 pm with the first 300 students receiving limited edition scarves courtesy of WECU.

WWU went 1-1 to open conference play last week, falling in five sets to Alaska Fairbanks and recording a reverse sweep over Alaska Anchorage. The Vikings are 2-6 overall on the season after battling a tough non-conference schedule facing four ranked opponents.

Sophomore outside hitter Delaney Speer recorded a pair of double-doubles last week and leads the team averaging 2.46 kills per set. Junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich is the team leader with 77.5 points (3.10 per set) while averaging 2.32 kills per set and pacing the team with 12 service aces.

Following the Friday match vs. SFU, WWU is back on the road next week traveling to play at Saint Martin's (10/3, 7 pm) and Western Oregon (10/5, 1 pm).

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

The Vikings host Simon Fraser in a special Friday Night Lights version of GNAC Volleyball on WECU Court in Carver Gym. The match was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was moved up one day to help welcome back WWU students during the first week of the fall quarter. The first 300 students will receive a WWU scarf courtesy of WECU. First serve is scheduled for 7 pm.

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Western Washington went the distance in both matches last week to open GNAC play, falling to Alaska Fairbanks (25-18,15-25,21-25,25-22,13-15) and defeating Alaska Anchorage (22-25,22-25,25-20,25-20,15-9). Marks the second consecutive season to play back-to-back five-set matches after not doing so since 2021. First time playing a pair of five-set home matches in the same week during the Diane Flick-Williams era (since 2000).

Here is a look at the series history between the Vikings and their opponent this week:

· Simon Fraser: The Vikings and Red Leafs split the series last season with each team winning on the road…WWU swept SFU in Burnaby and the Red Leafs beat the Vikings in five sets in Carver Gym…Western leads the all-time series 74-35 with a 24-2 mark in GNAC contests since 2010…Vikings had a 13-match winning streak vs. SFU snapped in the last meeting between the border rivals…WWU is 32-7 all-time in home games vs. SFU.

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Simon Fraser:

COMPARISON

WWU

SFU

Overall

2-6

6-3

GNAC

1-1

2-0

Attack Pct.

.149 (300-161-932)

.228 (405-159-1079)

Kills/Set

10.71

12.66

Assists/Set

10.07

11.72

Aces/Set

1.68

2.00

Digs/Set

13.21

15.31

Blocks/Set

1.71

2.22

Redshirt freshman middle Hayli Tri leads the team and is listed 2nd in the GNAC with a .369 hitting percentage…sophomore Delaney Speer (14th, 2.46) and junior Devyn Oestreich (17th, 2.32) both rank in the top 20 in the conference in kills per set…sophomore middle Emily Vossenkuhl ranks 6th averaging 1.00 blocks per set and for her career (34 matches) is averaging 1.11 blocks per set…Oestreich is listed 5th on the GNAC leaderboard averaging 0.48 aces per set (12 aces)…sophomore libero Finnley Claeys is 8th in the conference averaging 3.36 digs per set…Oestreich and Speer both have recorded a pair of double-doubles this season, both coming last week vs. the Alaska schools.

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.

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.

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.

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

2024 RECORD BREAKDOWN

Overall Record

2-6

Streak

Home

2-3

Away

0-0

Neutral

0-3

GNAC Record

1-1

Non-Conference

1-5

3-Set Matches

1-5

4-Set Matches

0-0

5-Set Matches

1-1

Ranked Opponents

0-4

Winning First Set

1-1

Dropping First Set

1-5

Record by Jersey

White

0-1

Light Blue

0-3

Dark Gray

0-0

Navy Blue

2-2

The Vikings have built a strong home court advantage on WECU Court in Carver Gym with an all-time 316-90 record in the venue for a .778 winning percentage. Over the last eight seasons since moving back into the renovated gym, Western is 72-9 in home contests in Carver. During the 25-year career of head coach Diane Flick-Williams, the Vikings have gone 201-24 (.893).

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)

The Vikings 2024 schedule features five opponents listed in the AVCA Preseason Poll and four of the first six opponents this season were ranked in the national top 25. 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.

· #1 Cal State LA

· #7 MSU Denver

· #8 Cal State San Bernardino

· #21 Cal Poly Pomona

· #22 Central Washington

Here is a look at the updated GNAC Volleyball standings and weekly scheduled heading into the second week of the conference slate. Updated conference standings, results, schedule and statistics can be found online at GNACSports.com.

This Week's GNAC Schedule

Thursday, September 26:

Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene, 7 pm MT

Montana State Billings at Central Washington, 7 pm

Saint Martin's at Alaska Anchorage, 7 pm AKT

Western Oregon at Alaska Fairbanks, 7 pm AKT

Friday, September 27:

Simon Fraser at Western Washington, 7 pm

Saturday, September 28:

Montana State Billings at Northwest Nazarene, 1 pm MT

Seattle Pacific at Central Washington, 1 pm

Saint Martin's at Alaska Fairbanks, 2 pm AKT

Western Oregon at Alaska Anchorage, 7 pm AKT

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

WWU Invitational (Bellingham, WA)

CWU Invitational (Ellensburg, WA)

Great Northwest Athletic Conference

9/27

Simon Fraser (GNAC) (RV)

7:00 pm

10/3

@Saint Martin's (GNAC)

7:00 pm

10/5

@Western Oregon (GNAC)

1:00 pm

10/10

Seattle Pacific (GNAC)

7:00 pm

10/12

Montana State Billings (GNAC)

7:00 pm

10/17

@Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)

3:30 pm MT

10/19

@Central Washington (GNAC)

7:00 pm

10/26

@Simon Fraser (GNAC)

7:00 pm

10/31

Western Oregon (GNAC)

7:00 pm

11/2

Saint Martin's (GNAC)

7:00 pm

11/7

@Montana State Billings (GNAC)

7:00 pm MT

11/9

@Seattle Pacific (GNAC)

1:00 pm

11/14

Central Washington (GNAC)

7:00 pm

11/16

Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)

7:00 pm

11/21

@Alaska Anchorage (GNAC)

11:00 am AKT

11/23

@Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)

2:00 pm AKT

Junior outside hitter Devyn Oestreich was selected to the CWU Invitational All-Tournament team last week for her outstanding play during the three-day tournament in Ellensburg. Oestreich averaged 2.00 kills and 3.00 digs per set in three matches against nationally-ranked opponents. She also earned all-tournament honors with Delaney Speer during the season-opening WWU Invitational.

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.

Saturday will be the first of four WWU Volleyball Kids Clinics with all interested players 8th-grade or younger invited to attend the free clinic in Carver Gym. Prior to every Saturday home match during the 2024 season, the WWU Volleyball program will host the clinic from 11 am – 12 pm. Clinic attendees will receive a free ticket for the match that evening. No advance registration needed…just come to campus, park in the C lots and learn from great student-athletes and coaches.

Western is led by 25th-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (520-143/.784), 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 271-73 record for a .788 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 have been 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.

2024 GNAC PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL COACHES POLL

Votes awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis

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.

ABOUT WWU VOLLEYBALL

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).