BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University volleyball team reports to campus this weekend and begins preparation for the 2018 season on Monday with the first official practice inside Carver Gym on the WWU campus.
The Vikings head into the 2018 season as the defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions after posting a 27-4 overall record and 19-1 league mark during the 2017 season.
19th-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams (394-103 career record) returns a veteran-laden squad for 2018 that includes 6 starters from last season and 10 returning letterwinners.
In addition to winning last season’s GNAC Championship, the eighth title in program history, the Vikings have advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships in each of the last six seasons and have played for the West Region championship each of the last three seasons. WWU finished the 2017 season ranked No. 7 AVCA Division II coaches poll and have been ranked in each of the last 80 national polls.
Due to a change in legislation at the NCAA Division II level and with 2018 being a festival year, the Vikings are reporting to campus one week earlier than previous seasons to prepare for the season-opening West Florida Invitational that will be played Aug. 24-25 in Pensacola, Florida.
“We are excited to hit the ground running and work hard to prepare for what is going to be a challenging opening to the season,” said Flick-Williams. “We had a productive offseason and are really excited about opportunities that we have as a program in 2018.”
The season-opening West Florida Invitational features four matches all against premier Division II programs. WWU opens the season with matches against Wheeling Jesuit (2015 national champion) and Southwest Minnesota State (14 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances) on Friday, August 24 at Pensacola State College. Western concludes the season-opening tournament the following day with matches against Regis (2017 NCAA II Elite Eight participant) and tournament host West Florida (No. 16 final AVCA ranking) at the UWF Field House.
WWU will then head to Azusa, California for the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase, playing four matches over a three-day span against West Region foes Cal State San Bernardino, Azusa Pacific, Sonoma State and Biola.
“There will be little margin for error in those first two tournaments against eight solid programs,” added Flick-Williams. “We will be tested right out of the gates and that is the way we like to be challenged. When we open GNAC play the following week, we should be battle tested for the tough conference season.”
Senior outside hitter Abby Phelps (Manson, WA/Chelan), the 2017 GNAC Player of the Year and a First Team AVCA All-American, leads a group of six returning starters, along with All-GNAC performers Michaela Hall (Sr., Middle, Centralia, WA) and Brette Boesel (Sr., Setter, Brewster, WA). Junior middle Kayleigh Harper (Oak Harbor, WA), a two-time First Team All-GNAC selection, returns for her junior season after sitting out last 2017. Additionally, junior middle Joslyn Bopray (Spokane, WA/Lewis & Clark) returns after finishing 2nd in the nation averaging 1.45 blocks per set and senior defensive specialistAubrey (Buckner) Stephens (Colville, WA) will look to lead the defense after averaging 5.26 digs per set and earning NCAA II West Regional All-Tournament honors.
The Vikings open the 20-match conference schedule with a pair of home matches on WECU Court in Carver Gym, hosting Seattle Pacific (Thursday, Sept. 6) and Saint Martin’s (Saturday, September 8). Additional home dates in Carver Gym include Alaska Fairbanks (Sept. 20), Alaska Anchorage (Sept. 22), Montana State Billings (Sept. 29), Central Washington (Oct. 11), Northwest Nazarene (Oct. 13), Simon Fraser (Oct. 23), Western Oregon (Nov. 1) and Concordia (Nov. 3). All home matches start at 7 pm on the WWU campus.
The Vikings will be looking to make their seventh consecutive trip to the 2018 NCAA Division II West Regional Championships, which will be held November 15-17 at an on-campus site. The winner of the West Regional will advance to the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament in Pittsburgh, Penn., as a part of the NCAA Division II Fall Festival hosted by Slippery Rock University, SportsPITTSBURGH and Clarion University at the A.J. Palumbo Center on the campus of Duquesne University.
The American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Top 25 will be announced on August 9.
About WWU Volleyball:
The WWU volleyball program has risen to elite level by advancing to the NCAA Division II Championships in six consecutive seasons and 12 of the last 17 dating back to the 2001 season. The winner of eight Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships, Western won the league title in 2017 by posting a 19-1 league record and were 27-4 overall. Led by 19-year head coach Diane Flick-Williams, the Vikings have posted a 145-33 record over the last six seasons (.815 winning percentage) and have played in the NCAA II West Region championship match each of the last three seasons (2015, 2016, 2017). WWU played for the NCAA II national championship in 2007 finishing 2nd in the nation and advanced to the NCAA II Final Four in 2015.