SEATTLE – The Western Oregon volleyball team concluded its opening road weekend in GNAC play on Saturday afternoon with a three-set loss to Seattle Pacific. The Wolves came back from early deficits in the opening two sets, but fell by scores of 25-20, 25-23 and 25-17.
 
Freshman OH Mariella Vandenkooy led the Wolves with seven kills. Sophomore OH Alisha Bettinson and redshirt freshman OH Amanda Short each added six kills for WOU (4-9, 1-3 GNAC).
 
Redshirt sophomore OH Lexi Biondi led all players with a match-high 12 kills for the Falcons, who improved to 4-8, 2-2 GNAC after a weekend sweep over WOU and Concordia.
 
Neither team struck the ball particularly well as SPU outhit Western Oregon .160-to-..078 for the match. The Wolves won the battle at the net with seven blocks to the Falcons' five.
 
Each of the first two sets saw Seattle Pacific build early leads. In game one, SPU won six of the first seven points, only to see WOU respond with an eight-point rally. The Falcons earned separation after a 14-14 stalemate to build a 20-16 lead. Western closed within three points on two occasions, but lost the set 25-20. Set two saw the teams play to 23-23 before the Falcons got a Biondi kill and an attack error to take a 2-0 game advantage.
 
SPU build a 10-6 lead in the third on the heels on a four-point spurt. WOU never regained the lead and fell 25-17 after SPU took the final four points of the match.
 
Western Oregon returns home on Oct. 1 for two GNAC matches against teams that made the NCAA West Regional last season. On Thursday, WOU plays host to Central Washington and faces Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, Oct. 3. Both matches begin at 7 p.m. at the New P.E. Building.