MONMOUTH, Ore. --- The Western Oregon volleyball team closes out its season with a pair of home games this week, taking on No. 5 Alaska Anchorage 7 p.m. Thursday before hosting Alaska Fairbanks 2 p.m. Saturday as the Wolves will celebrate their seniors prior to the game.

WOU defeated Alaska Fairbanks in five on Sept. 8 to open GNAC play before losing in three to Alaska Anchorage two days later.

STANDINGS

VOLLEYBALL	CONF	PCT	OVERALL	PCT	HOME	AWAY	NEUTRAL	STREAK
Alaska Anchorage	15-1	.938	25-2	.926	13-0	8-1	4-1	Won 4
Western Washington	14-2	.875	19-5	.792	12-1	6-1	1-3	Won 4
Central Washington	10-7	.588	15-10	.600	5-3	6-5	4-2	Lost 1
Seattle Pacific	10-6	.625	12-12	.500	5-2	5-7	2-3	Won 3
Simon Fraser	9-7	.563	12-13	.480	7-2	2-6	3-5	Won 3
Northwest Nazarene	9-8	.529	16-9	.640	8-5	5-4	3-0	Lost 4
Alaska	6-10	.375	16-12	.571	9-4	3-7	4-1	Won 1
Western Oregon	5-11	.313	9-15	.375	3-4	2-7	4-4	Lost 3
Saint Martin's	3-13	.188	13-13	.500	7-5	2-8	4-0	Lost 2
Montana State Billings	0-16	.000	7-18	.280	5-7	1-10	1-1	Lost 11

WOLVES HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
WOU dropped a pair of road contests last week, taking a set off of No. 9 Western Washington in a loss in four last Thursday before dropping a five setter at Simon Fraser on Saturday. Bailee Hartsook paced the Wolves during the trip with 34 kills, including a season-high 19 Saturday at Simon Fraser.

On the season, Sarah Crowell leads the team at 2.55 kills per set, though Hartsook (2.51) and Madison Hornback (2.49) aren't far behind. Laney O'Neil leads the team in assists (5.49) and Hornback has a team-best 32 aces. Defensively, Bella MacLellan leads the team at 0.70 blocks per set, just ahead of Delaney Smith (0.68) and Chloe Asciutto (0.68). Alley Henry leads WOU at 3.47 digs per set.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
The Seawolves took care of business at home with wins over Northwest Nazarene (3-1) and Central Washington (3-0) last week - moving its win streak to four after being upset on the road at Simon Fraser 3-1 on Oct. 20.

UAA is led by Eve Stephens who ranks first in the conference and third in the nation at 4.81 kills per set with Lisa Jaunet behind her at 2.87 kills per set - eighth in the conference. Ellen Floyd is second in the conference in assists per set at 10.18 while Stephens is second in aces at 0.53 per set - though the Seawolves have two other players in the top seven in the conference in Taliea Leauanae (0.48 - fourth) and Ellen Floyd (0.41 - seventh). Leauanae leads the team in digs 3.88 while Isabel Evans leads the team in blocks at 1.01 per set (fifth in the conference).

ALASKA FAIRBANKS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
The Nanooks split at home last week, losing to Central Washington in four while defeating Northwest Nazarene in five to snape a four-match losing streak.

Karlie Nielson leads the team in kills per set (2.71) followed by Rilee White (2.57). Ainsley Smith (5.34) and Taylor Overn (4.45) lead the team in assists per contest while White leads the team in aces (59). Elizabeth Jackson leads Alaska in blocks per set (1.21) while Jessa Long leads the team in digs (4.62 per set).
  MAKING STRIDES IN YEAR ONE UNDER NAHALE-A
The Western Oregon volleyball team with its eight wins has already surpassed last season's win total (4-21) along with their 2019 (5-22), 2018 (6-21) and 2017 (7-20) win totals in head coach Kaiao Nahale-a's first season at the helm. Their five GNAC wins is the most since winning seven conference games in 2016. The Wolves are looking for their first double-figure win season since that 2016 season (10-17).

BIG WOLVES WIN TO OPEN GNAC PLAY - FIRST VICTORY IN FAIRBANKS SINCE 2016
WOU opened GNAC play on Sept. 8 with a five-set win over Alaska Fairbanks, breaking the Nanooks' seven-match win streak, snapping an eight-match losing streak to them and winning in Fairbanks for the first time since 2016. Sarah Crowell paced the Wolves with a season-high 16 kills while Madison Hornback added 15 and Bailee Hartsook had 10.

HORNBACK, CASAREZ MAKE SMU ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
The Western Oregon volleyball team had a pair of representatives on the SMU All-Tournament Team from the event that took place from Sept. 1-3 in Lacey, Washington, in Madison Hornback and Sophia Casarez. Hornback had a big weekend in totaling 52 kills, 47 digs and nine aces in the Wolves' four matches while Casarez had 96 assists for the Wolves.