Western Washington University volleyball made a strong attack, clutching the first set of the match. The team put up a strong front but was unable to continue the momentum the rest of the night, leading to a 1-3 loss to Simon Fraser on Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. in the WECU Court at Carver gym. The game was a great match-up of teams, both ranked #25 in GNAC, and played powerfully on both sides of the court.
The game opened with continuous attacks from Fraser's side, which was turned on its head when pin hitter Devyn Oestriech got a kill assisted by setter Caroline Hansen, leading to a three-point win streak for the Vikings and making way for the Vikings to take the first set.
The set continues with back-and-forth points scored by both teams; Simon Fraser’s Davida Hill serves and ball volleys ensue until Oestreitch gets a kill in the corner of the court by the net. The first set ends with a service ace from Oestreitch, resulting in the Vikings' 25-23 set win.
“We wanted to stay really aggressive today,” said pin hitter Delaney Speer. “We had gone to Simon Fraser, and it didn't go our way, so we wanted to just get after them.”
The second set launched an attacking stance from the Vikings as Oestreitch landed a service ace on the first serve. Only a few minutes later, Simon Fraser takes control of the court, with a 1-7 lead.
The Vikings began to gain traction when athletes Speer and middle Taya Zaddack blocked Fraser’s Maycn Unger’s attack. Although the Vikings were unyielding, they weren’t able to catch up to Fraser’s sizable lead made at the beginning, costing them the set.
“Quite frankly, we were sick all week, so we had one practice that we were able to put together. And we were trying to focus on battling their tendencies and putting our defense in the right position to play against what their more comfortable shot was,” said Diane Flick-Williams, head coach of Western’s volleyball team.
Simon Fraser snags the first point of the third set. Despite holding the lead, the rest of the set saw both teams go back and forth in scoring points.
“We wanted to bring the fire and just come out firing,” Oestreitch said.
The Vikings presented a strong defense line, as athletes Emily Vossenkhul and Speer blocked two of Simon Fraser’s attacks in a row, leading to a 4-point streak and a 20-17 lead.
The teams were neck and neck with the Vikings holding a small lead until the very end, where Simon Fraser received four consecutive points, winning the third set.
Vikings took the lead, 1-0, with a kill from Speer at the start of the last set of the match. The beginning of the set, similarly to previous ones, was wire-to-wire.
“We were pretty angry and wanted to get after them, so that was mostly what we were thinking,” Speer said.
The set saw impressive kills from freshman pin hitter Maren Stuber. Additionally, Speer, Oestreitch and pin hitter Abby May were all able to land kills during the last set.
“You always have ups and downs. There are things that we still have to work on and improve on, but our common goal is to just continue to stick together,” Speer said.
The Vikings refused to back down for the remainder of the set despite Simon Fraser’s lead, getting in their last block from Stuber and Vossenkhul.
The next match for the Vikings will be played against Central Washington University, Thursday, Nov. 20, at 7:00 p.m. in the WECU Court at Carver gym.
“We really prioritize getting better every single day and finding a goal and sticking to it,” Oestreitch said.
Katherine Konicke-Dunlop (she/her) is a Sports and Recreation reporter for The Front. She is in her second year at Western, majoring in News and Editorial Journalism. Katherine can be spotted out hiking or with her eyes glued to a book in her spare time. You can reach her at katherinekonickedunlop.thefront@gmail.com.
