MATCH #16
Western Oregon (4-11, 1-5 GNAC) vs. Simon Fraser (7-7, 3-3 GNAC)
Thursday, Oct. 8, at. 7 p.m.
Burnaby, BC – West Gym
 
MATCH #17
Western Oregon (4-11, 1-5 GNAC) vs. Western Washington (12-2, 6-0 GNAC)
Saturday, Oct. 10, at. 7 p.m.
Bellingham, Wash. – Whatcom CC Pavilion
 
THIS WEEK: The Wolves are headed on the road to Simon Fraser on Thursday and to Western Washington on Saturday.
 
LIVE VIDEO: All Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchups will be broadcasted through Stretch Internet. A link can be found on the home page and volleyball schedule page on WOUWolves.com.
 
LIVE STATS: Fans can follow the action for both GNAC matches online via live stats through WOU's Stretch Internet portal. 
 
FOLLOW THE WOLVES: The Western Oregon volleyball team can be followed on Twitter. Follow @WOUVolleyball for all the latest news and behind the scenes photos. Follow @WOUWolves for the latest news on all 11 Western Oregon athletic programs.
 
LAST TIME OUT

• Western Oregon dropped both home matches last week to Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene with both opponents sweeping the Wolves, 3-0.
• Alisha Bettinson led the team in kills last week with a total of 19 for both matches. Amanda Short also made a contribution of 14 total kills. Leila Holt and Maddie Mehciz provided support on assists as Holt had 28 against Central Washington with a total of 35 for the week, and Mehciz recorded 17 against Northwest Nazarene.
• Christie Colasurdo paved the way in digs, totaling 27 for both matches. Holt and Paige Kelsey went on a blocking spree against Central Washington as Holt recorded five block assists, and Kelsey had six.

 
ABOUT SIMON FRASER

• Gina Schmidt is in her third season as head coach of the Clan with her record standing at 28-22 for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Simon Fraser is currently 7-7 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
• The Clan went 17-9 overall and 11-7 in the GNAC for the 2014 season. They return four starters for the 2015 season.
• Simon Fraser is hitting .136 with 11.8 kills per set, while their opponents are hitting .164 with 12.7 kills per set.
• Devon May, Tessa May, and Chrstine Howlett steer the attacks with 3.07, 2.39, and 2.33 kills per set, respectively. Tamara Nipp and Danielle Curtis contribute in assists as Nipp averages 5.58 assists per set, and Curtis averages 5.54 assists per set. In blocks, Tessa May averages 1.26 blocks per set, and Madison Power averages 1.02 blocks per set.

VS. SIMON FRASER: Western Oregon leads 20-3 in the series. Last season, the Wolves lost both games against the Clan as they went 1-3 in the first match and 2-3 in the second of the season.
 
ABOUT WESTERN WASHINGTON

• Diane Fick is 317-85 going into her 16th year as the head coach at Western Washington. She ranks 13th among active NCAA Division II volleyball coaches in winning percentage at 78.9. Ranked No. 15 in this week's AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25, the Vikings are 12-2 overall and undefeated in the GNAC after six matches.
• The Vikings went 21-7 overall and 14-4 in the GNAC for the 2014 season. Western Washington was one of four GNAC teams to play in the 2014 NCAA West Regional. They have seven returners, all of whom are letterwinners.
• The Vikings are hitting .231 with 13.4 kills per set. Their opponents are hitting .174 with 12.5 kills per set.
• Named GNAC Player of the Week three times this season, Rachel Roeder leads the team with 3.25 kills per set. Brette Boesel provides the offensive support, averaging 6.47 assists per set. Kayleigh Harper, who is tied for first in the GNAC in blocks, has recorded 73 total blocks for the season, averaging 1.43 blocks per set.

VS. WESTERN WASHINGTON: Western Washington has the advantage in the series as they lead 29-13. The Vikings defeated the Wolves in both GNAC games of the 2014 season, sweeping the Wolves, 3-0, both times.
 
WOU TEAM NOTES: Here are some tidbits about the Western Oregon volleyball team through 15 matches:

• Western Oregon is 4-11 overall this season with all four victories coming at home – against Lewis & Clark (Sept. 8), Adelphi (Sept. 10), Notre Dame de Namur (Sept. 12), Alaska (Sept. 19).
• The Wolves are hitting .176 as a team with 10.3 kills per set. They hit a season-best .302 in the three-game sweep over Alaska on Sept. 19.
• Western Oregon is just one match win from matching its total from the entire 2014 season.
• The Wolves are looking for its first wins on the road this year and consecutive wins away from the New P.E. Building since Nov. 1-3, 2012 (part of a four-game road winning streak).

 
SCHEDULE NOTES: A peek into the remaining games on the Wolves' 2015 schedule.

• Western Oregon opened the season at the Oredigger Volleyball Classic hosted by Colorado School of Mines. WOU dropped all four matches, including two matches to teams ranked inside the AVCA National Top 25 (No. 19 Cal State San Bernandino, No. 8 Colorado Mines).
• After a hiatus in 2014, WOU hosted the Western Oregon Invitational from Sept. 10-12 at the New P.E. Building. This year, WOU went 2-2 with victories over Adelphi in four games and Notre Dame de Namur in five games. Since 2012, Western Oregon is 7-5 as tournament hosts.
• The Great Northwest Athletic Conference added Concordia-Portland as a full member in 2015. With the Cavaliers joining the league, they become Western Oregon's travel partner when both teams hit the road. Since 2009, Western Oregon and Saint Martin's had been coupled as a road trip for visiting teams.

 
ON THE GNAC HORIZON: The Wolves will return home on Tuesday, Oct. 13 to face Concordia and will travel on Thursday, Oct. 15 to Montana State Billings.