Box Score
        Box score, play-by-play
 
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – They swung hard and swung often.
 
Still, no matter where the Seattle Pacific Falcons aimed the volleyball, their counterparts from Western Washington usually managed to keep it off the floor.
 
Jessica Miller put down 11 kills, but was the only SPU player in double figures on Saturday night as the 10th-ranked Vikings came back from an opening-game loss to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference match in Carver Gymnasium, 26-28, 25-12, 25-13, 25-17.
 
WWU's' highly regarded defense had much to do with that. Of the 177 total attacks by Seattle Pacific (11-10, 5-8 GNAC), the Vikings dug up 102 of them – not necessarily a surprise, since they began the week ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II at 20.11 digs per game. National leader Samantha Hutchinson had 36 of those on Saturday, well above her 7.28 per-game average.
 
"Credit Western – they're good, especially their defense," Falcons coach Chris Johnson said. "We took a lot of good swings tonight that they dug. You can only control what you can control, and if they dig it, they dig it."
                                                                                                                                      
Senior outside hitter Madi Cavell had nine kills for Seattle Pacific, and freshman Hannah Lautenbach added eight Senior libero Brianna Leenders came up with 28 of the Falcons' 84 digs. She tied her season high, and SPU matched its season high as a team, having gotten 84 in a match that went five games at Montana State Billings on Oct. 4.
 
Kayla Erickson led Western Washington (17-4, 10-2 GNAC) with 20 kills. The Vikings had a decided advantage in that department with 63. The Falcons finished with 36.
 
Seattle Pacific led for most of the opening game and was up 24-22 when Western stormed back to take a 25-24 lead. Back-to-back kills by Miller (Fife, Wash. / Fife HS) put the Falcons up, 26-25. Then, tied at 26-26, a Western service error gave SPU another try at game point. This time, Cavell and junior Luisa McInnis teamed up on a block to close it out.
 
Western Washington took command of the second game with a 7-1 run that snapped a 3-3 tie. The Falcons were within10-9 in the third game, but 13 of the next 15 points went onto the Vikings' side of the board.
 
Except for a 1-1 tie, Western led for the entirety of Game 4.
 
"They shut us down after the first game," Johnson said. "It was one of our best passing nights of the year. So it was frustrating that we weren't able to get the offense going with the passing we had. And they picked up their offense after the first couple games (including .400 hitting in Game 3) and got better."
 
With a bye on Thursday, SPU returns to the court next Saturday night against Montana State Billings at 7:00 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion.
 
"I think our mentality is getting more and more to where it needs to be on a daily basis," Johnson said. "We're improving mentally as well as physically, and I would expect that to continue next week."
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Carver Gymnasium / Bellingham, Wash.
 
(No. 10) Western Washington 3, Seattle Pacific 1
 
Game scores – 26-28, 25-12, 25-13, 25-17.
 
Service aces – SPU 3 (3 players with 1), WWU 1.
Kills – SPU 36 (Jessica Miller 11), WWU 63 (Kayla Erickson 20).
Assists – SPU 36 (Sara Biondi 32), WWU 62 (Kristina Tribley 56).
Digs – SPU 84 (Brianna Leenders 28), WWU 102 (Samantha Hutchinson 36).
Block assists / solo – SPU 12 / 1 solo (Maddi Hommes 5 / 0 solo), WWU 16 / 3 solo (Joellee Buckner 6 / 1 solo).
Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) – SPU36-22-177--.079 (Hommes 5-0-20—250, Miller 11-3-37--.216), WWU 63-23-179--.223 (Buckner 6-0-13--.462, Erickson 20-5-44--.341)
Attendance – 732.
 
Records – Seattle Pacific 11-10, 5-8 GNAC. WWU 17-4, 10-2 GNAC.
 
Next match – Montana State Billings at Seattle Pacific, Saturday, Nov. 1, Brougham Pavilion, 7:00 p.m.