MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon volleyball team hosted its version of a block party Thursday night at the New P.E. Building, but the wall of defense was not enough as they dropped a four-set decision to Simon Fraser. Scores of the match were 25-14, 22-25, 19-25, 19-25.
 
Set one was controlled from the first serve by the host Wolves (5-7/2-3 GNAC). WOU jumped out to a 5-1 lead after kills from Maddie Mehciz, Paige Orth and Mariella Vandenkooy coupled with a pair of Simon Fraser (11-2/4-1 GNAC) errors. The lead extended out to 15-7 before the Clan won five of the next seven points. An Orth kills began an 8-2 closing run for a 25-14 set win. The Wolves hit .222 for the set while forcing the Clan into 11 errors.
 
In set two, SFU scored three straight points to swings a one-point deficit into a 9-7 advantage. Western Oregon pulled tied four different times, the last time at 17-all on an overpass kill from Amanda Short. The Clan notched back-to-back points and ended the set with three successive points. SFU flipped the script with an offensive hitting percentage edge of .244 to .180.
 
WOU led 5-2, but favorable Clan rotations forced the Wolves to trail 13-8. The Wolves pulled even during the serving of Libbie Hoene. Two errors preceded a pair of Hoene aces to bring the game even at 13-all. After taking a 15-14 lead, Simon Fraser registered eight points in a row and took the set, 25-19.
 
The Clan jumped out to an early lead in set four, taking an 11-6 lead before the Wolves began to chip away. Alisha Bettinson sparked a string with a kill and WOU went ahead 16-15 on an Orth ace. It was the last lead of the set and match due to a string of seven Clan points. A Blankinship kill sliced the SFU advantage to five, which was as close as the Wolves would come. Simon Fraser the set 25-19.
 
Short (.296), Orth (.233) and Bettinson led Western Oregon with nine kills each. Orth added three aces and six blocks. Mehciz had 35 assists while Christie Colasurdo led four WOU players with double figure digs with 29. WOU had 15 team blocks, the most in a single match this season. The Clan outhit the Wolves .180 to .118 for the match.
 
The Wolves will be back in action on Saturday night to face No. 23 Western Washington inside the New P.E. Building at 7 p.m. during the annual Red Out match.