Falcons Volleyball Team Falls Short in Upset Bid of Vikings
September 24, 2004

Bellingham, Wash. (Sept. 24) -- Despite a couple of individual career nights and a solid performance as a team, Seattle Pacific was outlasted by nationally ranked Western Washington 25-30, 30-24, 26-30, 30-27, 15-13 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match on Friday night at WWU’s Carver Gym.

The Falcons fell to 2-3 in the GNAC and 6-7 overall. The 20th-ranked Vikings, who suffered their first ever GNAC loss in the four-year history of the conference last week, kept their 21 home match winning streak intact and improved to 4-1 in the conference and 8-4 overall.

Katie Ralph (Jr., Port Orchard, Wa./South Kitsap) led four SPU players in double figures with 18 kills. Chelsey Myers (Jr., Minden, Nv./Douglas) chipped in 17 kills and 20 digs. Kathleen Monda (Sr., Woodinville, Wa.) added 13 kills and 20 digs. Alyssa Given (Fr., Salinas, Ca./Notre Dame) finished with 10 kills and 18 digs.

SPU setter Jenna Von Moos (So., Stanwood, Wa.) set a new career high with 60 assists. Tiffany Butac (So., Pearl City, Hi./Hawaii Baptist Academy) also had a career best with a match-high 34 digs.

Krystal Knight led the Vikings with 19 kills and 19 digs. Kristy Carstensen added 14 kills, seven digs and six blocks. Meghan Evoy and Brianna Murray had 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Murray also had 28 digs.

The Falcons took a 2-1 lead in the match behind a strong hitting performance and threatened to close out with a 27-26 lead in the fourth game. But the Vikings won four straight points to even the score and held on for a 15-13 win in the fifth and decisive game.

SPU out-hit Western Washington .216 to .177. The Falcons finished with 122 digs. The Vikings had 116. Western’s effort was aided on service as the Vikings recorded 10 aces in the match, and the Falcons committed 13 service errors.

The Falcons return to Brougham Pavilion for two home matches next week beginning with Alaska Anchorage on Friday night at 7:00 pm in GNAC action.

WESTERN WASHINGTON U def. SEATTLE PACIFIC U 25-30,30-24,26-30,30-27,15-13
SEATTLE PACIFIC U (6-7, 2-3) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Ralph,Katie 18-0-6; Myers,Chelsey 17-1-2; Monda,Kathleen 13-0-3; Given,Alyssa 10-0-2; Biornstad,Rachel 7-2-4; Von Moos,Jenna 5-0-2; Jessica Bauder 2-1-0; Butac,Tiffany 0-1-0; Totals 72-5-12.0. (Assists) - Von Moos,Jenna 60. (Dig leaders) - Butac,Tiffany 34; Monda,Kathleen 20; Von Moos,Jenna 20; Given,Alyssa 18; Myers,Chelsey 18
WESTERN WASHINGTON U (8-4, 4-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Knight,Krystal 19-4-3; Carstensen,Kristy 14-1-6; Evoy,Meghan 13-0-1; Murray,Brianna 12-2-2; Petersen,Jamie 7-0-0; Anderson,Jaime 4-0-0; Wuotula,Siri 3-0-2; Urdahl,Kristen 3-1-0; Schneider,Courtney 0-2-0; Totals 75-10-7.0. (Assists) - Urdahl,Kristen 64. (Dig leaders) - Schneider,Courtney 29; Murray,Brianna 28; Knight,Krystal 19; Urdahl,Kristen 12; Wuotula,Siri 12; Petersen,Jamie 8
Site: BELLINGHAM (CARVER GYM)
Date: 9/24/04
Attend: 412
Time: 2:16
Referees: JOHN BRYANT, LORI OLSON