Western Washington University outside hitter Marlayna Geary has been named American Volleyball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II West Region Freshman of the Year.

Two outside hitters who have played volleyball together since the seventh grade have signed national letters of intent to continue their careers at Western Washington University. They are Emily Cotter and Samantha Hutchinson from Curtis High School in Tacoma. Both Cotter and Hutchinson were first-team Tacoma News Tribune all-Area picks as seniors, Cotter for the second straight year. They also were first-team all-South Puget Sound League South Division choices, Hutchinson for the second consecutive season.

Western Washington University outside hitter Marlayna Geary was a first-team choice and received Freshman of the Year honors on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball All-Star Team announced today.

For the second straight year, the Western Washington University volleyball team was denied one of eight berths in the West Regional of the NCAA Division II National Tournament after being ranked among the top eight in the last regular-season regional poll and winning its final match. The Vikings were rated No.8 in last week's poll and swept Montana State Billings on Saturday to finish 17-10. In 2008, Western was sixth in the final regular-season rating and won its last two matches prior to the selections, finishing 21-3.

Middle blocker Emily Jepsen had team-highs of 11 kills, three blocks and three service aces as Western Washington University ended its regular season with a 25-22, 25-19, 25-21 victory over Montana State University Billings on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium. The Vikings, ranked No.8 in the latest official NCAA Division II West Region poll, completed their regular season 17-10 overall and tied for third with MSUB at 10-6 in the GNAC.

The Western Washington University volleyball team is ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II West Region poll released today. The Vikings are 16-10 overall and fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 9-6. They entertain Montana State Billings on Saturday in their regular-season finale which could determine third-place in the league standings.

Western Washington University placed six student-athletes, four for the second straight year, on the 2009 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic All-Star Volleyball Team announced today. Heading the Viking repeaters was middle blocker Kathryn Mertens, a biology/anthropology major with a 3.89 (4.0 scale) grade point average.

A season of learning experiences for a young Western Washington University volleyball team comes to a close as the Vikings play host to Montana State University Billings in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match Saturday (7 p.m.) on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium that could determine third place in the league standings. Western, which does not have a senior on its active roster, is 16-10 overall and currently fourth in the GNAC at 9-6.

Western Washington University had 30 attack errors, one short of its season high, and hit just .099 as the Vikings fell to Central Washington University, 11-25, 25-21, 25-15, 21-25, 15-11, on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match at Nicholson Pavilion. The Vikings dropped to 16-10 overall with their third loss in four matches and 9-6 in GNAC action. They have lost three five-set matches since defeating Cal State L.A., 3-2, on Aug. 29.

Outside hitter Marlayna Geary posted her 11th double-double of the season with a match-high 20 kills and 13 digs as Western Washington University defeated Northwest Nazarene University, 25-13, 22-25, 25-15, 25-22, on Thursday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match at the Johnson Sports Center. The Vikings improved to 16-9 overall and are third in the GNAC standings at 9-5.

Looking to snap a two-match losing streak, the Western Washington University volleyball team is on the road this week for two Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches, traveling to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday (7 p.m.) and going to arch-rival Central Washington on Saturday (7 p.m.).

Outside hitter Marlayna Geary had a team-high 17 kills and added 19 digs, but Western Washington University still suffered its second straight loss, falling to Seattle Pacific University, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17, 26-24, on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

With its last opportunity to post a win over one of the two Great Northwest Athletic Conference front runners, the Western Washington University volleyball team entertains Seattle Pacific in a league counter Saturday (7 p.m.) on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium. The Vikings, 15-8 overall and third in the conference standings at 8-4, were swept by the Falcons on Sept. 30 at Seattle. Seattle Pacific, which is at Montana State Billings for a GNAC contest Thursday, is second in the GNAC at 8-2.

The cake went for $1,400. The man who bought it never imagined the bidding would go that high ... And Peter Rynders is a big booster of the women's volleyball team at Western Washington University. And that cake for which he got into a bidding battle early this month? Well, he didn't even realize it was a cake when he first saw it sitting there on a table at Viking Night, the major fundraiser for the WWU athletic program ...

A fast start fizzled for Western Washington University as it fell to University of Alaska Anchorage, 8-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-9, on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. The loss snapped a four-match winning streak for the Vikings, who fell to 15-8 overall and remained third in the league standings at 8-4. Alaska Anchorage, which won its seventh straight match, improved to 17-7 overall and took over the GNAC lead at 9-2.

Outside hitter Megan Amundson had a team-high 15 kills and a .364 attack percentage and middle blocker Emily Jepsen added 13 kills on .480 hitting and a match-high six blocks as Western Washington University swept University of Alaska Fairbanks, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21, on Thursday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match at Patty Center. The Vikings, who have won four straight matches, equaling their season high, improved to 15-7 overall and remained in third place at 8-3 in GNAC action.

Western Washington University middle blocker Emily Jepsen has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Volleyball co-Player of the Week for Oct. 11-17. Jepsen, a 5-foot-11 sophomore from Kennewick (graduate of Kamiakin High School), led the Vikings to victories over Western Oregon, 3-1, and Montana State Billings, 3-0. She had a .509 hitting percentage in the two matches with 30 kills and just one error in 57 attempts as Western moved to within one-half match of the GNAC lead.

With the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title chase in a three-way scramble, the Western Washington University volleyball team travels to Alaska this week for a pair of league counters, facing Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday (7 p.m.). The Vikings are 14-7 overall and alone in third-place in the GNAC standings at 7-3, one-half match behind co-leaders Seattle Pacific and Alaska Anchorage, each at 7-2.

Middle blocker Emily Jepsen had a team-high 14 kills and a .609 attack percentage and Bailey Jones hit .833 with 10 kills as Western Washington University swept Montana State University Billings, 25-22, 25-20, 25-18, on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match at Alterowitz Gymnasium. The Vikings improved to 14-7 overall and 7-3 in GNAC action, the first time since early in the season that they have put together three straight wins.

Outside hitter Marlayna Geary had a match-high 17 ills and middle blocker Emily Jepsen added 16 kills and a match-high seven blocks as Western Washington University defeated Western Oregon University, 25-17, 21-25, 25-16, 25-16, on Thursday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

Looking to regain command of its home floor, the Western Washington University volleyball team entertains defending league champion Western Oregon on Thursday (7 p.m.) in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium. The Vikings, 12-7 overall and tied for third-place in the GNAC standings at 5-3, 1-1/2 games behind leader Seattle Pacific (6-1), then travel to Montana State Billings on Saturday (7 p.m.).

Outside hitters Marlayna Geary and Megan Amundson each had double-doubles in kills and digs as Western Washington University defeated Saint Martin's University, 25-23, 26-28, 25-23, 25-16, on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match at Marcus Pavilion. The Vikings improved to 12-7 overall and 5-3 in GNAC action. They have not been able to string together back-to-back wins in their last six matches. Geary tied for match-high honors with 16 kills and 11 digs, and Amundson had 12 kills and 12 digs. Both players each had two blocks.

Outside hitter Marlayna Geary had a career-high 29 kills, but it wasn't enough as Western Washington University fell to Northwest Nazarene University, 20-25, 26-24, 23-25, 26-24, 15-13, on Thursday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.