Volleyball | 10/16/2013 1:58:00 PM

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University volleyball team travels to Seattle Pacific and Montana State University Billings Thursday and Saturday for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches.

After this weekend, the Wolves (5-12, 2-5 GNAC) will have played half of their conference schedule. After this week's matches, Western Oregon has three straight home outings over a two-week span. Entering this week's matches, WOU has dropped four consecutive contests dating back to a four-set victory at St. Martin's.

Western Oregon's Becky Blees is nearing a conference all-time record. The senior is 24 blocking assists shy of Northwest Nazarene's Cammy Dranginis' four-year-old record of 367 in a career. Blees is also 10th currently on the GNAC all-time career list with 355 career blocks. Dranginis owns that record as well at 473.

Blees' 1.22 blocks per set is 18th in NCAA Div. II this season.  That mark is also fourth in the conference.  The senior is 10th in the GNAC with a .271 hitting percentage. Megan Triggs' 4.90 digs per set is third in the conference. Hannah Deede is eighth in blocks per set (1.06).  Jordin Ramos is ninth with 5.30 assists per set.

The Wolves are fifth in hitting percentage (.176) and opponent hitting percentage (.187). WOU is also fifth in blocks per set at 2.13, and fourth in digs (15.68).

Western Oregon is at Seattle Pacific (7-8, 3-4) Thursday. The Falcons have been dominant at the net this season. SPU is 10th in the nation averaging 2.59 blocks per set. Nicki Lowell is 14th in the country at 1.28 blocks per set. She is also fourth on the GNAC all-time career blocking assists list, and eighth in total blocks. Seattle Pacific is holding opponents to .141 hitting percentage, which is second in the GNAC. Brianna Leenders' 4.14 digs per set is seventh.

The Falcons have lost three of their last four matches. Seattle Pacific has won 22 of the 38 all-time meetings between the schools. The teams split the matchups last season, with both teams sweeping the opponent on the road.

Saturday, the Wolves travel to Montana State Billings (3-12, 1-6). The Yellowjackets have fell in their last three contests, and eight of their past nine. MSUB is led by Monica Grimsrud's 3.60 kills per set, which is third in the conference. Kyndal Williams is fourth is assists per set, and Chelsey Walter is fifth in hitting percentage.

Western Oregon has won three straight matches over MSU Billings, including the last meeting a three-set victory in Billings. The Wolves have a 12-4 all-time advantage over MSUB.  The Yellowjackets are seeking their first win this season in an away contest.

Both matches on Thursday and Saturday will have live stats and video on WOUWolves.com. Thursday's match at SPU begins at 7 p.m., while Saturday's meeting at Montana State Billings is at 7 p.m. Mountain Time.