MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon volleyball team earned their first home win of the 2019 season on Saturday, cruising to a 3-1 (25-19, 25-20, 19-25, 25-20) win over the Saint Martin's Saints at NPE Gym.
 
The win snapped an eight-game losing streak for Western Oregon (4-17, 2-12 GNAC) and pushed Saint Martin's (0-23, 0-14 GNAC) to their 28^th consecutive loss stretching back into the 2018 season.
 
The Wolves jumped out to an early lead in the opening set, winning six of the first seven points to force an early Saint Martin's timeout. The run included three attack errors from the Saints who committed 22 in the match.

"It was good to get a win at home," said Juliana Cameron. "I think we're still unsatisfied, we still want to keep pushing for more and more, and I think we still see a lot of potential for improvement. Our serving was a lot better this game than it has been in the past. When that gets set up, it really helps open up our attacking."
 
SMU then battled back to within a point after going on a 6-2 run of their own, but were never able to pull even in the set. A kill from Krista Omlid solidified the win in game one to give WOU the early lead. Omlid set a new season-high with 11 kills on 34 attacks in the start. She was one of three players to reach double figures in kills for Western. She added on four digs and three blocks for her 12.5 points Saturday.
 
Set two needed a sizable run from the Wolves to secure the game. Trailing 14-11 midway through the set, Western Oregon went on a seven-point run on the serve of Allie Spear to take a 17-14 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish. Spear had 29 digs in the match along with three assists and an ace.
 
The Saints picked up their lone set win in the third game, finishing the set off with six consecutive points after a 19-19 tie. Mackenzie Carter led Saint Martin's with a match-high 16 kills, seven digs, a block and an assist. Gracie Brenner and Emily Gooding each had 13 kills to help bolster the attack.

"We're definitely happy with the win, but always thinking about what we need to work on to have an even better game next time around," said Aubrey Stanton. "When our passing is on, we do great."
 
Freshman Lauren Smith had a team-high 15 kills for the Wolves, coming on 38 attacks. She added on two blocks and a dig for 16.0 points. Smith has now totaled at least 10 kills in five of her last 8 appearances.
 
Juliana Cameron had a career-high six service aces, nearly matching SMU as a team in the category.
 
The win represented the first of the year for the Wolves at home and their second of the year over the Saints.
 
Next up, Western Oregon embarks on their final road trip of the season. They will visit Alaska Anchorage Thursday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. and Alaska Saturday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. PST.