WOLVES HOST ALASKA AND WEST'S TOP RANKED ALASKA ANCHORAGE
A four-match homestand for Western Oregon begins this week, as the Wolves host Alaska on Thursday at 7 p.m. and #11 Alaska Anchorage on Saturday at 7 p.m. during the team's annual Week of Giving. Both matches will have video/live stat coverage on WOUWolves.com/Live while Thursday's match with the Nanooks will be broadcast live on KWVT Salem-17.

WOU VOLLEYBALL WEEK OF GIVING
Fans are encouraged to join in with the WOU Volleyball team and Athletic Department in helping out two great causes. On Thursday, fans will receive a free bag of popcorn when they bring three non-perishable canned food items to the match to help the WOU Food Pantry. Donations will also be accepted for the pantry on Thursday. Saturday's match will raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, facilitated by the WOU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
 
SEVEN NAMED GNAC ALL-ACADEMIC
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference has announced its women's volleyball All-Academic team for the 2016 fall season, and seven student-athletes from Western Oregon were honored. The Wolves are led by three-time honoree Christie Colasurdo in community health studies with Amanda Short posting the team's highest grade point average in exercise science. Alisha Bettinson (business) and Sydney Blankinship (community health) were named to the team for a season year. Making their first appearance on the GNAC All-Academic Team are Short, Mackenzie Bowen(business), Leila Holt (undeclared) and Maddie Mehciz (exercise science).
 
WOLVES' WATCH
Junior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson is leading Western Oregon in kills through 21 matches with 270, averaging 3.38 kills per set. Sophomore Mariella Vandenkooy is second with 170 kills while Amanda Short (168) and Paige Orth (158) follow. Orth is the WOU leading blocker at 0.80 blocks per game. Sophomore setter Maddie Mehciz leads the team with 10.14 assists per set while senior libero Christie Colasurdo paces the team with 5.24 digs per game followed by Bettinson at 3.24 digs. Redshirt freshman Libbie Hoene has the touch from the line leading WOU in serving aces with 32.

SCOUTING THE ALASKA NANOOKS
The Nanooks have lost 13 consecutive matches entering play this week against the Wolves n Thursday and Concordia on Saturday. Prior to a four-set loss to Montana State Billings on Oct. 29, Alaska had been swept in five straight appearances. The Nanooks are averaging 11.2 kills, 1.5 aces, 12.2 digs and 1.6 blocks per game, hitting .162 as a team. Angela Molesworth paces four players with more than two kills per game at a 2.67 average. Rachel Nichols is the primary setter with a 9.37 assist per game clip. Libero Meagan Olsen is tops on the team at 4.01 digs per game while Riley Podowicz (0.74) and Kim Wong (0.69) are leading the team's blocking at the net
 
THE MATCHUP: WOLVES VS. NANOOKS
Western Oregon leads the series dating back to 1986 by a 19-13 advantage. The Wolves won the earlier meeting during the first round of GNAC play in four sets (Oct. 8). Last season, the Wolves swept Alaska in an early GNAC contest while the Nanooks returned the favor in Fairbanks during the final week of the season. 

SCOUTING THE ALASKA ANCHORAGE SEAWOLVES
The GNAC-leading and top-ranked school in the first official NCAA West Region rankings, the Seawolves will play at Concordia on Thursday before heading to Monmouth for a Saturday night match. After dropping a five-set home match to Western Washington on Oct. 22, UAA got right back to their winning ways with sweeps over Alaska and MSUB last week. The Seawolves are an offensive threat – averaging 13.6 kills, 1.9 aces, 17.8 digs and 2.3 blocks per game, hitting .231 as a team. Leah Swiss (3.39) and Chrisalyn Johnson (3.07) are the point leaders for the Seawolves, who are set up offensively by Moragn Hooe's 10.22 assists per game. Kyla Militante-Amper, from Hillsboro, is the UAA digs leader at 5.92 a game.

THE MATCHUP: WOLVES VS. SEAWOLVES
Alaska Anchorage leads the all-time series with WOU, 17-15, with the Seawolves taking the last seven meetings. UAA won this season's previous meeting on Oct. 6 in three sets. Last year, the Seawolves needed four sets to win in Monmouth and swept past the Wolves in the regular season finale in Anchorage. The last WOU win in the series was on Oct. 20, 2012 in a three-game sweep in Anchorage.
 
WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON
The final homestand of the year continues with weekday matches against Concordia in a Red Out (Tuesday, Nov. 8) and Senior Night against Montana State Billings (Thursday, Nov. 10).