Volleyball | 10/11/2008 3:07:31 PM

MONMOUTH, Ore. - The Western Oregon University volleyball team swept Montana State Billings, 28-26, 26-24 and 25-23, Saturday (Oct. 11) to remain in first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings. 

With the win, the Wolves improved to 7-0 in the GNAC and extended its winning streak to 12 matches. Western Oregon extended it lead in the conference standings to one-and-half matches over Western Washington as the Vikings fell in five sets Saturday at Alaska Fairbanks. The loss drops the Yellowjackets to 2-7 in the GNAC and to 5-17 on the season. 

Sharon Peterson and Stacey Bennett tied for the team lead in kills with 11. Peterson had a team-best .320 hitting percentage as she posted her 11 kills on only 25 attempts and committed just three errors. Bennett also recorded her second consecutive double-double as she had a team-high 20 digs to go with her 11 kills. Four WOU players had 10-plus digs as the defense limited MSUB to a .126 hitting percentage (47-26-167) compared to a .196 mark (45-15-153) for the Wolves. Amy Herron led the team with 21 assists while Jorden Burrows added 14.

"We tried some new things out here tonight," said head coach Brad Saindon. "We experimented with a different look but we will be going back to our comfort zone. You have to take a look at anything which has the ability to improve your team and we were still able to sweep the match."

The Wolves improved to 4-3 in the first set in GNAC play as it defeated the Yellowjackets 28-26. WOU led the set 19-14 but MSUB used a 9-2 run to jump in front 23-21. Western Oregon then mounted a rally as it captured four of the next five points to force the set to extra points. The set was tied at 26-26 when WOU got a kill from the senior Bennett then closed the set on a rally which saw the ball change sides 12 times. Western Oregon's defense limited MSUB to a .102 hitting percentage (15-9-59) in the set. Peterson had five kills on nine attempts and only one error to record a .444 hitting percentage in the set. Herron and Burrows both had six assists in the frame while Bennett recorded a team-best nine digs.

Western Oregon was again forced to extra points in the second set and again prevailed, this time by the score of 26-24. With the set tied at 20, WOU captured three of the next four points before MSUB responded with a 3-0 run and set itself up with game-point at 24-23. Western Oregon would then use a 3-0 run of its own to close the set out at 26-24. Peterson led the team in kills (4) and hitting percentage (.500) for the second-straight match. Bennett led the team in digs with seven while Herron had a team-high seven assists. Western Oregon limited its mistakes in the set as it committed just six errors compared to 13 for Montana State Billings.

WOU managed to avoid extra points in the third set as it closed out at 25-23. Western Oregon outhit Montana State Billings .212 to .140 in the set as it had two more kills and two fewer attack errors. Bennett led the squad in kills in the set with five as Mainer had seven digs and Herron eight assists to top the Wolves club in the set.

"We are playing good when it matters most and are finding a way to win matches," said Saindon. "Hats off to my team and the players they deserve all the credit."

The Western Oregon volleyball team will again do the home-road split next week as it travels to Lacey, Wash., to face Saint Martin's (3-12, 1-6 GNAC) Thursday Oct. 16, at 7:00 p.m., then returns home against Central Washington (12-6, 4-2 GNAC) Saturday Oct. 18, at 7:00 p.m.