Home Openers Arrive for Volleyball This Thursday and Saturday

MONMOUTH, Ore. – After spending the first three weeks of the season on the road, the Western Oregon University volleyball team will get to play in their own gym this coming Thursday and Saturday when they continue Great Northwest Athletic Conference play against #2 Western Washington and Simon Fraser.

The Wolves will open the week on Thursday at 7 p.m. against the No. 2 Vikings before finishing the week on Saturday against the Clan beginning at 2 p.m. inside the New PE Building Gym.

The previous six games for the Wolves (2-7, 0-2 GNAC) have all been decided in three sets. WOU closed the non-conference schedule in style defeating Holy Names and Notre Dame De Namur before opening up GNAC play last week falling in a pair of tight three-set matches against Concordia and MSU Billings.

WOU has 309 kills posting a .180 hitting percentage, 298 assists, 37 service aces, 317 digs and 40 blocks in the nine games played this season. Opponents have 348 kills along with a .238 hitting percentage, 316 assists, 64 service aces, 355 digs and 46 blocks.

Sianna DeCarli leads the team in points with 93, along with 84 kills and is hitting .207. She is also second on the team in blocks with 16. Sarah Crowell is having a strong freshman year with 65 points and 56 kills, along with six service aces. Allyson Crisp gives the Wolves three players with at least 60 points as she is right at 60 with 43 kills, four service aces and leads the team in blocks with 20. Aubrey Stanton leads the way in assists with 220 and Allie Spear has a team-high 96 digs. Stanton leads the team in service aces with seven.

Individually Stanton is in the top-10 in the GNAC coming in eighth in assists per set (7.59) and ninth in total assists (220). DeCarli is 13^th in the conference in kills per set (2.90).

Season-highs so far this season include Stanton with 33 assists in a pair of games, most recently against Concordia. Spear tallied 17 digs against Cal State Monterey Bay. Crisp sent back six blocks against Holy Names. DeCarli tallied 15 kills against Cal State Monterey Bay.

Waiting to face WOU in the home opener on Thursday will be the national runner-up from a season ago in Western Washington. The Vikings enter the week ranked No. 2 in the nation. Western Washington went all the way to the national title match last year falling in five sets to Tampa.

The Vikings have won 40 of their last 41 matches and are 10-0 overall and 2-0 in GNAC play to start this season. WWU has won five games in three sets and two have gone all five sets against West Florida and Hawaii Hilo. They opened conference play with wins at home against Northwest Nazarene (3-1) and Central Washington (3-0).

Three players have at least 120 kills led by 133 from Calley Heilborn, while Gabby Gunterman adds 127 and Kayleigh Harper has 120. The Vikings have spun in 57 service aces with 11 from Heilborn. Malia Aleaga has dished out 457 assists. On defense, Gunterman has 160 digs and Harper has sent back 43 blocks.

Last year, Western Washington won both games by 3-0 scores. The Vikings have gone 33-4 against WOU since 2000 having won the last 12 in the series. The last win for the Wolves occurred in 2012 when they claimed the 3-0 win in Monmouth.

Simon Fraser is 5-5 on the season and 1-1 in GNAC play. This past week they fell in a five-set match to Central Washington and then defeated Northwest Nazarene in four sets. Other non-conference wins have come against Dixie State, Colorado Christian, CSU San Marcos and Point Loma.

Two players have at least 118 kills led by 122 from Kirsten Pinkney and 118 from Betsie de Beer. Julia Tays has 397 assists and Julia Tays has 20 service aces. On defense, Bianca Te has 180 digs and Farnaaz Johal has sent back 30 blocks.

Last year, Simon Fraser went 15-11 overall and 12-8 in GNAC play. Since 2010, Simon Fraser is 11-7 against WOU having won the last 10 meetings in the series. The Wolves won the first six meetings in the series starting in 2010 and then after the teams split the meetings in 2013, the Clan have won the last 10. Last season, Simon Fraser won both meetings by scores of 3-0.

Live video and stats will be available for both games with the links to both found here.

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Players Mentioned

#18 Sianna DeCarli: OH; 6' 0"; Junior

#2 Aubrey Stanton: S; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#15 Allyson Crisp: MB/OPP; 6' 2"; Senior

#4 Sarah Crowell: DS; 5' 9"; Freshman

#1 Allie Spear: OH/DS; 5' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#18 Sianna DeCarli
: 6' 0"; Junior
: OH

#2 Aubrey Stanton
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: S

#15 Allyson Crisp
: 6' 2"; Senior
: MB/OPP

#4 Sarah Crowell
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: DS

#1 Allie Spear
: 5' 5"; Junior
: OH/DS