WOU VOLLEYBALL (8-2, 1-1 GNAC)
GNAC STANDINGS | GNAC STATS | WOU STATS | WOU STAT RANKINGS
 
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY
at Alaska (9-3, 1-1 GNAC), 8 p.m. (PT)
Fairbanks, Alaska | Alaska Airlines Gymnasium

SATURDAY
at Alaska Anchorage (6-6, 0-2 GNAC), 8 p.m. (PT)
Anchorage, Alaska | Alaska Airlines Center
Live Stream & Stat Links 
 
THE WOLVES HEADING INTO THIS WEEK
The Wolves are coming off a 1-1 opening week of conference play that also doubled as their first two home games. They lost against to Central Washington 3-0 Thursday before completing a thrilling reverse sweep Saturday to beat Northwest Nazarene 3-2 – winning at home against NNU for the first time since 2021.

Madison Hornback led the Wolves in both total kills (31) and kills per set (3.875). Chloe Asciutto led WOU with 13 total blocks and was a key part of the Wolves win Saturday. Another big part of WOU's Saturday come-back was their aces, totaling 16 in the 5-set win over NNU, seeing three different players reach four aces in the match. Going into this week Western Oregon is ranked 10^th in all of Division II for aces per set at 2.51.   

THE OPPONENTS HEADING INTO THE WEEK
The Alaska Nanooks are coming off a 1-1 week on the road where they beat Western Washington 3-2 before dropping their match at Simon Fraser 3-0. Heading into the week, Alaska is leading the GNAC in assists per set at 11.83 and Junior setter Ainsley Smith leading the GNAC with 9.79 A/S.

The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves are coming off a 0-2 start to their conference play last week, dropping their road content against Simon Fraser 3-0 before giving up the reverse sweep at Western Washington, losing 3-2.
 
SERIES HISTORY (Since 2000)
Alaska
ALL-TIME: 23-21
STREAK: Win 1
LAST WOU WIN: Nov. 4, 2023 – 3-1 in Fairbanks, Alaska
LAST WOU LOSS: Oct. 5, 2023 – 3-0 in Monmouth, Oregon
 
Alaska Anchorage
ALL-TIME: 14-31
STREAK: Loss 21
LAST WOU WIN: Oct. 20, 2012 – 3-0 in Anchorage, Alaska
LAST WOU LOSS: Nov. 2, 2023 – 3-1 in Anchorage, Alaska
 
NOTES
Aces wild ... 
The Wolves have been taking care of business at the service line as they rank 10^th in the nation in aces per set (2.51) and fourth in total aces (108). Chloe Asciutto leads the Wolves – and the GNAC – in aces per set at 0.67 (29 aces in 43 sets played), good for 13^th in all of Division II. Her total 29 aces also tops the GNAC rankings and rank fourth in the nation.

Hartsook named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week, Wolves named GNAC Team of the Week (Sept. 16)
WOU senior Bailee Hartsook was named the GNAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week by the conference on Sept. 16 after the senior averaged 3.07 kills per set in helping the Wolves go 3-1 at the Cougar Classic in San Marcos, California. The senior averaged 3.29 points per set and finished with 43 kills and a hitting percentage of .338. Hartsook, who missed the season-opening tournament in Hawaii for the Wolves last week, after easing into the first match Friday against Azusa Pacific was a force the rest of the weekend - racking up 14 kills in three sets against Cal State Monterey Bay, 12 kills in a three-set win over Westmont and 16 kills in a five-set loss to San Marcos. She helped the Wolves start the season 7-0 before Saturday's loss - the best undefeated start for WOU since starting 9-0 in 1998.

The Wolves were named the GNAC Team of the Week by the GNAC on Sept. 16 after going 3-1 at the Cougar Classic and starting the season 7-1 - their best start since starting 17-1 in 1999. 

Asciutto named Cougar Classic Tournament MVP, four others named to all-tournament team
Junior middle blocker Chloe Asciutto was named the Cougar Classic MVP on Sept. 14 after recording 13 aces, 28 kills and seven blocks. Fourth additional Wolves were named to the all-tournament team: seniors Bailee Hartsook and Madison Hornback, sophomore Kilinoelehua Helm and freshman Maela Honma. The team went 3-1 at the event.

Hottest start in a quarter century ...
The Western Oregon volleyball team started the season 4-0 for the second year in a row after sweeping play at the Hawai'i Fall Volleyball Challenge. Before last season, the Wolves hadn't started a season 4-0 since 1999. After the second weekend of play, the Wolves went 7-1, the team's best start since 1999 (when it started 17-1).

Hornback named Preseason All-GNAC
Western Oregon senior Madison Hornback was named to the GNAC Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team when the conference released the team Monday. Hornback, from Oregon City, Oregon, led the conference in kills per set (3.56) in 2023 and was second in points per set (4.05) on her way to being named All-GNAC First Team. She was also named GNAC All-Academic (3.62 GPA). Hornback had a GNAC high for kills in a three-set match (23 - tied for 10th most in D-II in 2023) and five sets/overall (27) and was twice named GNAC Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Wolves picked eighth in GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll
The Western Oregon volleyball team was picked eighth in the 2024 GNAC preseason coaches' poll for 2024. WOU finished 4-14 in GNAC and 10-16 overall in 2023, good for ninth in conference standings. The Wolves in coach Kaiao Nahale'a's second season had their best start in program history since 1999, going 4-0 in the opening weekend of play and swept the 2023 Stanislaus State Tournament, while the 10 wins was the most for the program since 2016.
 
2024 GNAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
 

Rank	Team (1st Place Votes)	Points
1	Central Washington (2)	91
2	Seattle Pacific (6)	90
3	Western Washington	75
4	Simon Fraser (2)	74
5	Alaska Anchorage	59
6	Alaska Fairbanks	49
7	Northwest Nazarene	38
8	Western Oregon	33
9	Saint Martin's	29
10	Montana State Billings	12