MONMOUTH, Ore. --- Ten matches into the road warrior Western Oregon volleyball team will finally step foot on their home court for a match as the Wolves host Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday - both games starting at 7 p.m.

WOLVES HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
WOU opened GNAC play last week with a five-set win at Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday, breaking the Nanooks' seven-match winning streak, snapping an eight-match losing streak to the Nanooks and winning its first match in Fairbanks since 2016. The Wolves then faced No. 16 Alaska Anchorage and lost to the Seawolves in three.

Madison Hornback leads the Wolves att 2.66 kills per set with Bailee Hartsook (2.39), Lauren Smith (2.21), Sarah Crowell (2.19) and Ella Nordquist (2.09) also averaging more than two kills per set. Emily West (5.17), Sophia Casarez (4.89) and Laney O'Neil (4.80) lead the team in assists with O'Neil second on the team in aces (10) - tied with Ally Henry and only behind Hornback (15). Henry leads the team in digs per set (3.44) with Hornback second (2.42) while Delaney Smith leads WOU in blocks per set at 0.89.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
The Wildcats were swept Saturday on the road at Northwest Nazarene in their GNAC opener 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 26-24). Tia Andaya had a team-best 15 kills.

Ashley Kaufman leads the team in kills per set (2.68) with Andaya not far behind (2.44). Sydney Remsberg (5.59 assists per set) and Andaya (4.79) have shared the setting duties with Hannah Stires featuring a team-best 17 aces and 3.44 digs per set. Emma Daoud-Hebert leads CWU with 1.53 blocks per set. 

NORTHWEST NAZARENE HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
The Nighthawks enter the week on a six-match win streak after defeating Central Washington at home Saturday, 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 26-24). Oliva Wright had a team-best 13 kills while Natalie Sullivan and Miya Koch had 10 kills apiece. Mckenzie Lee had a team-high 35 assists and added seven blocks.

Wright leads NNU at 3.83 kills per set while Sullivan is also averaging more than three kills per set at 3.67 while leading the team in aces with 17. Lee leads the team at 12 assists per game. Anna Gable (1.44) and Wright (1.23) lead the team in blocks.
  MAKING STRIDES IN YEAR ONE UNDER NAHALE-A
The Western Oregon volleyball team just 10 games into the season has already made strides from a year ago in head coach Kaiao Nahale-a's first season at the helm. At 5-5, the Wolves have surpassed last season's win total already (4-21), equaled the 2019 win total (5-22), can equal or surpass the 2018 win total (6-21) and can equal the 2017 win total (7-20). The Wolves are halfway to their first double-figure win season since 2016 (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.