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Oct. 18, 2009

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - With the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title chase in a three-way scramble, the Western Washington University volleyball team travels to Alaska this week for a pair of league counters, facing Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday (7 p.m.).

The Vikings are 14-7 overall and alone in third-place in the GNAC standings at 7-3, one-half match behind co-leaders Seattle Pacific and Alaska Anchorage, each at 7-2.

Western, the preseason GNAC coaches pick to capture this year's crown, won both its league matches last week, defeating Western Oregon in four sets at home and sweeping Montana State Billings on the road. That gave the Vikings a three-match winning streak, one short of their longest this season.

Four of Western's final six regular-season matches, all league counters, are on the road. Following the trip to Alaska, the Vikings entertain Seattle Pacific on Oct. 31, travel to Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 5 and to Central Washington on Nov. 7, and play host to Montana State Billings on Nov. 14.

Not ranked in the latest official NCAA Division II West Regional Poll, it appears that Western's only chance of reaching the post-season is to win the GNAC title and gain an automatic berth in the playoffs.

The Vikings rank second in the GNAC in attack percentage at .213 and are tied for second in service aces at 1.66 per set.

Western setter Laurie Yearout (R-Fr., Spokane/Lewis & Clark) leads the league in assists at 10.50. Outside hitter Marlayna Geary (Fr., Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep) is second in kills (3.95), middle blocker Emily Jepsen (So., Kennewick/Kamiakin) third in blocks (1.05) and libero Allison Gotz (Jr., Bothell/Archbishop Murphy) fourth in digs (5.16).

In last week's NCAA II national statistics, Geary ranked No.16 in kills and Gotz No.25 in digs.

In the two wins last week, Jepsen had 30 kills with just one error in 57 attempts for a kill percentage of .509.

Geary had 17 kills and 16 digs versus Western Oregon, and middle blocker Bailey Jones (So., Mukilteo/Kamiak) had 10 kills with no errors in 12 attempts against Montana State Billings.

Alaska Fairbanks, 8-11 overall and 2-6 in GNAC play, has lost its last four matches. The Nanooks, who were swept by Western on Sept. 26 at Bellingham, are 4-3 at home.

The Vikings hold a 27-6 series advantage over UAF, but lost in five sets last year at Fairbanks.

Alaska Anchorage, working on a five-match winning streak, is 15-7 overall. The Seawolves, who defeated Western in five sets at Bellingham on Sept. 24, are 5-2 at home. They lead the GNAC in hitting percentage at .221.

The loss to UAA snapped a 17-match series winning streak for the Vikings. Western has a 23-8 series edge over the Seawolves.

Notes: The Vikings are 132-18 all-time in GNAC matches, a winning percentage of .880 ... 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 ... Diane Flick has a career record of 210-57, her .787 winning percentage ranking eighth among NCAA II active coaches ... Western is 6-3 on Haggen Court at Carver Gym this season where the Vikings have lost just 10 of 97 matches during Flick's 10 seasons as coach.