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Oct. 12, 2009

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Looking to regain command of its home floor, the Western Washington University volleyball team entertains defending league champion Western Oregon on Thursday (7 p.m.) in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

The Vikings, 12-7 overall and tied for third-place in the GNAC standings at 5-3, 1-1/2 games behind leader Seattle Pacific (6-1), then travel to Montana State Billings on Saturday (7 p.m.).

Last week, Western split a pair of GNAC matches, winning in four sets at Saint Martin's after being beaten in a five-set match at home by Northwest Nazarene.

The young Vikings, who have badly needed wins on their home floor to contend for the GNAC title, have split their last four league matches on Haggen Court and are 5-3 at Carver Gym this season.

The three home losses are the most for Western since it had five in 1999. The Vikings have dropped just 10 of 96 matches on Haggen Court in Diane Flick's 10 seasons as coach.

Western, the preseason GNAC coaches favorite to take this year's league crown, has split a pair of league matches in each of the last three weeks after opening conference play with two wins. Two of those losses have been at home.

The Vikings rank second in the GNAC in service aces at 1.72 per set and third in attack percentage at .206.

Western middle blocker Emily Jepsen (So., Kennewick/Kamiakin) is tied for the league lead in blocks with a 1.04 per set average. Outside hitter Marlayna Geary (Fr., Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep) is second in kills (3.94) as is setter Laurie Yearout (R-Fr., Spokane/Lewis & Clark) in assists (10.33).

Libero Allison Gotz (Jr., Bothell/Archbishop Murphy) is fourth in digs (5.21) and Geary fifth in points (4.16).

Geary had a pair of double-doubles in kills and digs last week, including a career-high 29 kills in the loss to Northwest Nazarene.

Western Oregon, 7-12 overall and 4-4 in GNAC play, is 4-11 on the road this season. The Wolves have won three of their last five matches after a 4-10 start. They have the league's top two attack percentage leaders in Lisa Martini at .365 and Laura Sakala at .364.

The Vikings hold a 21-13 series advantage, ending Western Oregon's 19-match home winning streak with a 3-1 victory on Sept. 19.

MSUB (Oct. 13 vs. Rocky Mountain, Oct. 15 vs. Central Washington), which hosts three home matches this week, is 10-8 overall and 4-3 in league action after going on the road last week and handing Seattle Pacific its first conference loss. The Yellowjackets, 4-2 at home, have won six of their last nine matches following a 4-5 start.

Leading MSUB is Devon Crotteau, who ranks fifth nationally and leads the GNAC in kills (4.41). She also tops the league in points (4.98).

Western has not lost to MSUB in seven series meetings.

Notes: The Vikings are 130-18 all-time in GNAC matches, a winning percentage of .878 ... Three of Western's seven losses this season have been to American Volleyball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Top 25-rated teams ... The Vikings have won four GNAC titles (2001-03, 2007) since the league began in 2001 and placed second last season. The GNAC champion earns an automatic berth in the NCAA II National Tournament ... Gotz, who received AVCA All-American honorable mention in 2008, and Geary were all-tourney picks at both the Southern California Classic and Central Washington Invitational to open the season ... Western fell out of the AVCA Top 25 Poll after being listed in the preseason (23rd) and first two regular-season ratings (21st and 24th) ... The Vikings did not earn a berth in the national playoffs last year despite a 21-3 record after being the national runner-up in 2007 ... Flick has a career record of 208-57, her .785 winning percentage ranking eighth among NCAA II active coaches.