Volleyball | 11/13/2012 3:23:00 PM

VOLLEYBALL - SAINT MARTIN'S AT WESTERN OREGON
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 – 7:00 p.m. – Monmouth, Ore.

LIVE VIDEO: WOU TV (Stretch Internet)
LIVE STATS: http://athletics.wou.edu/live/xlive.htm

VOLLEYBALL - WESTERN OREGON AT SAINT MARTIN'S
Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 – 7:00 p.m. – Monmouth, Ore.

LIVE VIDEO: WOU TV (Stretch Internet)
LIVE STATS: WOU TV (Stretch Internet)

MONMOUTH, Ore.  - The Western Oregon volleyball team returns to action this week as the Wolves close out the regular season with a pair of conference matches against Saint Martin's. WOU hosts the Saints on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7:00 p.m. before travelling to Lacey, Wash., to take on SMU at 7:00 p.m.

WOU enters the final week of the regular season with an overall mark of 19-6 and tied for second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 12-4 league record. The Wolves are currently ranked No. 7 in the West Region as the top eight teams in the region at the end of the season will advance to the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship.

Last week, the Wolves defeated Northwest Nazarene for their eighth-straight victory; however, WOU saw its win streak snapped by Central Washington on Saturday.

Offensively, senior Danielle Reese continues to lead the WOU attack as the senior outside hitter leads the team and ranks sixth in the conference at 3.48 kills per set. Senior Samantha Ward ranks second on the squad with 3.01 kills per set while Krissi Kemper leads the conference and ranks No. 2 in the nation with a hitting percentage of .426.

The Wolves continue to play solid on the defensive side of the ball as WOU tops the league in opponent hitting percentage at .159 and blocks at 2.39 per set. WOU ranks No. 16 in the nation in the category as Becky Blees leads the way with 1.26 blocks per set. Meanwhile, Megan Triggs leads the Wolves and ranks seventh in the league with 4.46 digs per set.

Saint Martin's enters the week with a mark of 6-16 overall and in ninth place in the conference standings with a 3-13 record after falling to CWU and NNU last week. The Saints, who have lost five straight, are led by Kristyn Ross as she leads the team with 2.65 kills per set.

WOU leads the all-time series, 29-3, as the Wolves have won 14 straight against the Saints.

Admission to the contest on Thursday night is $6 for adults and $4 for non-WOU students. WOU students with a valid student identification card will be admitted for free.

Following the end of the regular season, the Wolves will learn whether or not they qualify for postseason play when the selections to the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship are announced on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 7:00 p.m.