ELLENSBURG, Wash. – It has certainly been a long wait for the Western Oregon University volleyball team as they will finally return to the court this Friday when they travel to face Central Washington. The Wolves will also play a pair of games against Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.
WOU last played on Nov. 21, 2019 winning a thrilling five-set match over Montana State Billings at home to finish out the season. The Wolves finished the 2019 season with a 5-22 overall record with first-year head coach Stacy Metro, as WOU came close to pulling off several other big wins against Alaska Anchorage and Central Washington, with both of those teams making the NCAA Regional Playoff field.
Allie Spear returns along the back row after playing in all 93 sets in 2019. She took home GNAC honorable mention honors after leading the team with 413 digs. Aubrey Stanton is back after leading the team in assists with 642 and had a team-high 29 service aces. Lauren Smith had a strong first season on the floor for the Wolves as the true freshman had 194 kills and 221 points, along with 118 digs and 29 blocks. Sarah Crowell collected 121 kills and 143.5 points in her first season with the Wolves. Delaney Smith added 131.5 total points with 101 kills and 51 blocks. Makenzie York added 76.5 points with 56 kills. Emily West is also back after seeing time in 34 sets tallying 136 assists.
While those seven are back, WOU will have six new players on the roster with Carly Cox (Concordia (OR)), and Isabel Hurliman (West Texas A&M) joining the team as transfer. Bella Maclellan, Sophie Matlock, Laney O'Neil and Emily Olson arrive as freshmen for the new season.
WOU will open with Central Washington as the Wildcats have played two matches so far this spring falling to Seattle Pacific in a doubleheader, 1-3, and 2-3 on Apr. 3 in Seattle. Analia Vasquez leads the team with 23.5 points collecting 22 kills. Marianna Payne is next with 15 points and 14 kills. Sydney Remsberg has 31 assists, while Hannah Stires adds 40 digs and three players are tied for the lead in blocks with four.
During the 2019 season, CWU won both meetings with the one in Monmouth going five sets. The Wildcats have won the last seven meetings, with the last WOU winning coming in 2016 in a five-set battle in Monmouth.
Alaska Anchorage is 4-1 so far this season opening the season with a 3-1 win over Saint Martin's. They then swept Seattle Pacific and split the past two meetings with Alaska Fairbanks, with the Nanooks taking the most recent meeting on Mar. 27 in five sets.
Eve Stephens leads the Seawolves with 97 points tallying 79 kills. Nicole Blue adds 71 points with 59 kills. Ellen Floyd runs the offense with 172 assists. On defense, Talia Leauange has 63 digs, while Vera Pluharova has sent back 23 blocks.
Alaska Anchorage took both meetings in 2019, with the match in Monmouth going five sets. The Seawolves have won the past 14 meetings in the series with the last win for WOU coming in 2012 in Anchorage, as that was part of a four-match winning streak in the series for the
Wolves.
WOU will open the season on Friday against Central Washington at 5 p.m. The Wolves will then play two against Alaska Anchorage on Saturday with the first game at 10 a.m. and the second to follow around 2 p.m.
Live video will be available for all three games and can be found here
live stats will also be available for all three games and can be found here.
