Nov. 26, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The longest run into the NCAA Division II post season continues for the Western Washington University volleyball team as it meets Dowling College from Oakdale, N.Y., on Thursday (3 p.m. PT) in a national quarterfinal match at Topeka, Kan.

The Vikings, 24-4, earned their first trip to the Elite Eight with a sweep of American Volleyball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Top 25 No.3-ranked Cal State San Bernardino in the championship game of the Pacific Regional. That extended their winning streak to 19 matches, the third-longest in school history. They have lost just six games during that stretch.

Western, ranked No.15 nationally, won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship with a 17-1 record. They swept Chico State in the first round at regionals and prevailed in five games over defending champion UC San Diego in the semifinals after losing the first two games.

The winner of the Western vs. Dowling quarterfinal match-up will play either South Region champion Tampa FL (31-2), ranked No.1 nationally, or South Central Region champion and host Washburn KS (37-3), rated No.4 nationally, in a semifinal match on Friday (4:30 p.m. PT). The title match is slated for Saturday (5 p.m. PT).

The Vikings, directed by AVCA Pacific Region and GNAC Coach of the Year Diane Flick (8th year, 173-46, .790), are led by senior libero Courtney Schneider (Snohomish), who took the national digs per game title for the second straight year with a 7.58 average.

Schneider, who has broken her own school and GNAC records with 750 digs this fall, ranks third among NCAA II career leaders in that category with 2,594. Her career digs per game average of 6.94 is nearly one dig per game better than the current national record.

Schneider was a first-team AVCA All-American and 2007 GNAC Player of the Year, being a first-team AVCA and Daktronics Pacific Region and league all-star, all for the third straight year.

Western senior outside hitter Jaime Anderson (SeaTac/Mount Rainier), an honorable mention AVCA All-American, leads the team in kills with 393 (3.97) and is third in digs (317, 3.20) and fourth in blocks (67, 0.68). She was a first-team AVCA all-region selection and a second-team pick to both the conference and Daktronics region all-star squads.

Senior outside hitter Emily Castro (Bellingham/Meridian) is second among the Vikings in both kills with 338 (3.45) and digs with 321 (3.28).

Junior middle blocker Tiana Roma (Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway) and senior setter Katie Robinson (Sr., Everson/Nooksack Valley) were both first-team GNAC all-stars for Western. Roma, an honorable mention AVCA All-American and first-team AVCA all-region choice who leads the Vikings with a .358 attack percentage, is third in kills (291, 2.94) and second in blocks (93, 0.94). Robinson has 1,178 assists (11.90) and is second in service aces with 46 (0.46).

Junior middle blocker Angie Alvord (Laurel/Meridian) tops Western in blocks with 138 (1.39) and aces with 64 (0.65). She has 250 kills and a .314 hitting percentage, second-high on the team.

Alvord, Anderson, Castro and Schneider were all picked to the Pacific Regional all-tournament team.

Western's highest national finish was third at the NAIA Nationals in 1990. The Vikings' longest winning streak is 24 in 2003. They won 20 straight in 2001.

Dowling is 39-7, winning its last 37 matches. The Golden Lions are making their third straight trip to the Elite Eight after defeating Bryant, 30-22, 22-30, 30-19, 31-29, in the Northeast Regional final.

Graduating four starters plus a libero from last year's 36-7 team that lost to eventual champion Tampa in the national quarterfinals, Dowling lost its first six matches this fall before turning the season around. The Golden Lions have lost just 11 games during their winning streak.

Leading Dowling is 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter Justyna Michon from Katowice, Poland, who was named Daktronics Northwest Region Player of the Year and East Coast Conference Player of the Year for the second time. The school's career kills record holder with 2,259, she has 616 (4.25 avg. per game) this season, 20 short of the school record. Michon was a third-team AVCA All-American this season after receiving honorable mention in both 2005 and 2006.

Another first-team all-region and all-league performer for Dowling is 5-11 sophomore right-side hitter Patrycja Klekota from Siedlce, Poland. The left-handed Klekota has a team-high 118 service aces as well as 379 kills (3.01), 247 digs and 73 blocks.

Sophomore libero Jessica Gall, an all-region and all-league second-team pick, is a transfer from Sacramento City College where she was a NJCAA All-American. The 5-10 junior has 814 digs (5.42).

Two other standouts for Dowling are 6-0 sophomore middle blocker Kayla Muela and 5-9 freshman setter Erin Przybylowic. Przybylowicz, who was the ECC Freshman of the Year and a second-team all-league pick, has 1,675 assists (11.39), and Muela has a team-high 134 blocks (0.97).

In his eighth season as coach of the Golden Lions is Alex Koszalka, who has a 234-83 record.