Tuesday, November 19, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. - Western Washington has qualified for the NCAA Division II Volleyball West Regionals which begin Thursday, Dec. 5 at a site to be announced.

Generally, the No. 1 seeded team hosts the regional.  Currently, UC San Diego (22-3) is ranked first, followed by BYU-Hawaii (23-1) and Cal State San Bernardino (20-5).

The Vikings are currently ranked fifth in the region.

Western Washington clinched no worse than a tie for the GNAC title Thursday with a 25-23,  25-18, 25-16 win at Simon Fraser.  The Vikings (22-3, 15-2) are one match ahead of Alaska Anchorage (20-9, 14-3) with one match remaining.

WWU, which has won eight straight matches, would earn the GNAC's automatic berth in the regionals if they end up tied for first based on its 5-4 set advantage in its two matches with UAA.

Middle blocker Kayla Erickson and outside hitter Kelsey Moore each had 14 kills and three blocks to lead the Vikings' win.  The conference title is the second straight for WWU and its seventh in the 13-year history of the conference.

WWU also got nine kills from Rachel Roeder and six from Jennica McPherson in the victory.  Samantha Huchinson had 25 digs and Taylor Dillard had 42 assists.  Kelsey Robinson led Simon Fraser (11-12, 6-11) with 13 kills.

Alaska Anchorage, meanwhile, kept alive its mathematical hopes to at least share the title with a 25-18, 25-23, 25-18 win at Montana State Billings.

Outside hitter Katelynn Zanders had 19 of UAA's 41 kills as the Seawolves (20-9, 14-3) clinched their second 20-win season in six seasons under sixth-year head coach Chris Green and their ninth in program history. Monica Grimsrud led MSUB (6-20, 3-14) in the loss with 13 kills.

Alaska Anchorage, Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington are currently ranked seventh, eighth and ninth in the region and all have aspirations of joining the Vikings in the regional playoffs.

The eight-team field and pairings for the regionals will be announced Monday at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time with a webcast on ncaa.com.

Northwest Nazarene (17-6, 13-4) defeated Western Oregon, 29-27, 17-25, 25-12, 25-18, Thursday at Nampa.  Elayna Rice and Andrea Terpstra led the Crusaders with 20 and 19 kills.  Terpstra also had five blocks.  Cherene O'Hara paced Western Oregon (10-17, 7-10) with 10 kills.

Central Washington (14-11, 10-7), meanwhile, kept alive its post-season hopes with a 25-10, 28-26, 25-21, home win over Saint Martin's (7-22, 3-14).  Linden Firethorne led the Wildcats with 14 kills.  Brooke Good led the Saints with nine.

In another Thursday match, Seattle Pacific swept Alaska Fairbanks, 25-14, 25-18, 25-14. Madi Cavell led the Falcons (15-10, 11-6) with 12 kills and tied a career-high with five service aces.  Sam Harthun had 10 kills for the Nanooks (4-24, 3-14).

The regular-season wraps up Saturday for the GNAC as Western Washington hosts Simon Fraser, Alaska Anchorage visits Seattle Pacific, Northwest Nazarene hosts Saint Martin's, Western Oregon plays at Central Washington and Alaska Fairbanks plays at MSU Billings.

THE BLOCKING RACE: The race for the GNAC all-time lead in assisted blocks will go down to Saturday's contests at Seattle and Ellensburg.  Western Oregon's Becky Blees currently is the all-time leader with 381, three ahead of Seattle Pacific's Nikki Lowell.  Lowell also ranks second all-time in the GNAC with 417 total blocks.  Blees ranks fourth and needs six to become the fourth player in GNAC history to record 400 career blocks.