MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University volleyball team challenged the #21 ranked team in the nation in Western Washington on Thursday night. After the Vikings claimed the first set, WOU responded with a hard-fought second set win. Western Washington then pulled out a tight third set and then carried that momentum into winning in four sets, 3-1 (25-12, 23-25, 25-20, 25-17) in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action inside NPE Gym.

Western Washington (8-4, 4-1 GNAC) looked every bit of the No. 21 ranking in the first set. WOU (2-11, 0-6 GNAC) was able to get back to within three a couple of times early in the set at 9-6 on a kill by Lauren Smith and then at 10-7 on a kill by Delaney Smith before a 6-0 run followed by the Vikings to help them pull away. WWU ended up closing the set on a 15-5 run for the 25-12 first set win.

The Wolves quickly responded in the second set. Isabel Hurliman tallied a kill and a double-block by Delaney Smith and Emily Olson had WOU out to a 3-1 advantage. After WWU came back to even the set at nine, Sophie Matlock recorded a nice dig that turned into a kill and then followed with a service ace for an 11-9 lead. WWU looked like they were ready to take the set moving ahead 19-17, but a key timeout by the Wolves helped them get back into it. Bailee Hartsook tallied a kill and then after a double-block by Hurliman and Bella MacLellan, a kill by Hurliman had WOU looking at a 20-19 lead. WWU was forced to call a timeout and after they evened the set on the next point, WOU reeled off the next three points. Hurliman hit back-to-back kills and then Lauren Smith capped the run with a kill at 23-20. The Vikings didn't go away, answering with the next three points to tie the set at 23. Out of another WOU timeout, the Wolves closed strong. Hurliman posted two straight kills to give WOU the set at 25-23 and evened the match at one.

WOU moved out to a 6-3 lead in the third set with MacLellan posting a kill around a WWU attacking error. The lead stretched to four at 12-8 with Aubrey Stanton tallying a kill and Hurliman spinning in a service ace. A Hartsook kill and service ace by Laney O'Neil kept the lead at 15-12 when WWU came back with the next five points to move in front 17-15. WOU didn't go away, Lauren Smith and Hurliman each came away with kills to tie the set at 17. WWU came back with the next three points to move in front 20-17, but the Wolves made one last push getting points from Hurliman, Delaney Smith and Olson before the Vikings were able to close the set on a 3-0 run for the 25-20 third set win.

WWU used the momentum from the third-set win to jump ahead 6-2 in the fourth. WOU tried to get back into the set at 13-8, but that would be as close as the Wolves would get the rest of the way. Olson, Hartsook and Lauren Smith collected points down the stretch before WWU took the fourth set at 25-17 and the match at 3-1.

For the match, WWU tallied 58 kills to 18 errors in 151 chances for a .265 hitting percentage. WOU posted 46 kills to 23 errors in 158 swings to hit .146. WWU held the advantage on service aces (8-4), blocks (10-7), assists (55-42) and digs (72-70).

It was the sixth double-double of the season for Hurliman as she recorded 13 kills and 11 digs. Hartsook reached double-figures in kills with 10, while Lauren Smith added nine. O'Neil also tallied a double-double, her second of the season, with 17 assists and a team-high 17 digs. Stanton led the way in assists with 21. In addition to the 17 digs by O'Neil and 11 by Hurliman, Kiana Pel reached double-figures in digs with 10. Delaney Smith came away with four blocks, including two solo. It was an inspired effort by the Wolves playing their first game under interim head coach Traci Stephenson on Thursday.

Gabby Gunterman led the Vikings with 16 kills and made it a double-double with 10 digs. Calley Heilborn added a double-double with 13 kills and 16 digs. Olivia Fairchild added 10 kills. Adele Holland ran the offense with 47 assists. Kasey Woodruff had a team-high 21 digs and Fairchild added five blocks, with one solo.

WOU will finish the week hosting Simon Fraser this Saturday night starting at 7 p.m. inside NPE Gym. Simon Fraser defeated Saint Martin's, 3-0, in Lacey earlier on Thursday.