BILLINGS, Mont./SEATTLE, Wash. – Following a three-game homestand to start the conference season, the Western Oregon University volleyball team will travel to Montana and Washington State this week for two more Great Northwest Athletic Conference games. The Wolves will open the week at Montana State Billings on Thursday at 6 p.m. (Pacific) and then will close the week back in Washington against Seattle for a Saturday afternoon contest at 2 p.m.
WOU (2-8, 0-3 GNAC) is coming off of a wild five-set match against Saint Martin's in which the Saints rallied to win sets four and five to take the win. Isabel Hurliman, Aubrey Stanton and Laney O'Neil all went for double-doubles with Hurliman tallying 15 kills and 12 digs, Stanton with 24 assists and 15 digs, while O'Neil added 23 assists and 14 digs.
As a team, the Wolves have 431 kills, 392 assists, 63 service aces, 572 digs and 73 blocks. Opponents have 487 kills, 435 assists, 54 service aces, 622 digs and 69 blocks.
Hurliman leads the team with 142.5 points, recording 121 kills, 12 service aces, 103 digs and 19 blocks in 40 sets played. Bailee Hartsook is second on the team with 83 points tallying 77 kills, 47 digs and eight blocks. Makenzie York has 70 points posting 40 kills and sending back a team high 40 blocks. Madison Hornback is third on the team in kills with 57, Sophie Matlock leads in digs with 171 and in assists, Stanton has 200 to lead the way, followed by 116 for O'Neil.
Individually, York ranks 90th nationally in blocks per set (1.0) and 111th in total blocks (40). Matlock is 117th and fifth in the GNAC in digs per set (4.28).
Montana State Billings is 4-8 overall and 1-3 in GNAC play having lost both of their games this past week in Alaska by 3-0 scores to Fairbanks and Anchorage. Prior to that, MSUB opened their home portion of the schedule with a 3-1 loss to Central Washington and swept Northwest Nazarene.
As a team, MSUB has 456 kills, 418 assists, 55 service aces, 631 digs and 88 blocks. Opponents have 522 kills, 478 assists, 678 digs and 68.5 blocks. Bayli Monck leads the team with 162.5 points, recording 142 kills. Skylar Reed is second with 126.5 points and 113 kills. Joelle Mahowald rounds out the group with over 100 points sitting at 113 with 82 kills and 46 blocks. Hannah Hashbarger leads the team in assists with 277, while Christine Funk has 170 digs.
WOU holds a 6-4 edge in the past 10 meetings in the series as the teams last played in 2019 with each winning on their home floors. MSUB won 3-0 in Billings and then WOU won an exciting Senior Day meeting to close the season in five sets. The Yellowjackets have won the past four meetings in Billings with the last WOU win coming in 2015.
The Wolves close the week at Seattle Pacific on Saturday. The Falcons are 6-5 overall and 2-2 in GNAC play this season. SPU traveled to Alaska this past week falling to Fairbanks in four and were swept by Anchorage. Before the road trip to Alaska, Seattle Pacific defeated both Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington in Seattle by scores of 3-1.
Hannah Hair leads the team with 124 points tallying 92 kills and 55 blocks. Maddie Batiste adds 110 points with 97 kills and 18 blocks. Emily Tulino sets up the offense with 270 assists, while Abby Cunningham has 126 digs.
Seattle Pacific has gone 9-1 over the past 10 meetings in the series as the teams played twice during the shortened 2021 spring season that were both 3-0 wins for the Falcons. SPU has won the past nine meetings, with the last WOU win coming in 2016 in Monmouth. The last win in Seattle for the Wolves came in 2012.
Live video and stats will be available for both games.
For the Montana State Billings game, live video can be found here and live stats can be found here.
For the Seattle Pacific game, live video can be found here and live stats can be found here.
