LACEY, Wash.—Trailing 10-9 in the first, the Western Oregon University volleyball team dominated the late action in the opener and did not trail the rest of the night en route to a 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-19) win at Saint Martin's in the Great Northwest Conference debut for both team's on Thursday night.

Double-digit kill totals from both Alisha Bettinson and Mariella Vandenkooy powered the Western Oregon (5-3, 1-0 GNAC) attack that finished the night with a .270 to .096 edge in hitting percentage.

In addition, the Wolves received a remarkable 11 aces in the three-set match with the duo setter combination of Maddie Mehciz and Leila Holt responsible for three points each off the serve.

After the slow start to the first, WOU jumped out to a devastating 15-3 in the second with Jenna Compton and Sydney Blankinship joining the offensive array.

Not as distinctive as the second set, the Wolves separated from the Saints with a 6-2 run culminating with a Morgan Haskett kill to clinch the finale. 

"Tonight we did a great job of executing our game plan and making the necessary adjustments during the match. Our aggressive nature, on both sides of the ball, really allowed us to play loose and created a lot of runs, but all that wouldn't have been possible without our team's engagement and energy that propelled us even more," head coach Tommy Gott said. 

Holt tallied a team-high 17 assists while Mackenzie Bowen reached for a team-high 13 digs. Rebecca Mitchell led SMU with eight kills on 31 attacks.

Western Oregon will return to GNAC competition on Saturday when the team continues north to face Seattle Pacific University. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m.