Volleyball | 10/8/2011 9:49:00 PM

Box Score [Box score]

LACEY, Wash. - The Western Oregon volleyball team won its third straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference match with a 25-10, 25-23, 22-25 and 25-18 victory over Saint Martin's on Saturday (Oct. 8).

Danielle Reese led Western Oregon with 12 kills. Krissi Kemper added 11 kills and a .259 hitting percentage. Samantha Ward and Becky Blees each posted eight kills as Western Oregon outhit Saint Martin's .196 to .133. Blees also had five blocks and LesLyne Satele posted 30 assists to lead the Wolves.

"It is always hard to get a win on the road in the GNAC," Western Oregon head coach Brad Saindon explained. "We were not as good tonight as we have been but we got out with win."

Western Oregon came out strong with a 25-10 win in the first set. The second set went back and forth until it was tied at 22, but WOU scored three of the last four points to go up two sets to zero. In the third set SMU went up 21-11 before the Wolves fought back by scoring 11 of the next 14 points to make it 24-22, but the Saints scored the next point to make the match 2-1.

The Wolves would close out the match in the fourth set.  WOU was down 15-13 before scoring eight straight points behind serves from Megan Triggs, and went on to the 25-18 set win.

"This was a difficult match for us," said Saindon. "Saint Martin's is a scrappy team and fought hard. They are a much improved team."

The win coupled with losses by Alaska Anchorage (11-6, 7-2 GNAC) and Western Washington (9-4, 7-2 GNAC) leaves the Wolves (7-6, 6-3 GNAC) a match behind each of them, and 1.5 matches back of GNAC leader Seattle Pacific (12-4, 7-1 GNAC).

"We are 6-3 halfway through the GNAC season, and are still in the hunt for the conference title," concluded Saindon.

Western Oregon will be on the road again next week. They will start the journey at Western Washington on Thursday, Oct. 13, then head to Simon Fraser on Saturday (Oct. 15).