Sports - Sports News

POSTED: Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL: Vikings fall short of national tourney bid

Western Washington University, the NCAA Division II National Tournament runner-up in 2007, will not be in the tourney in 2008 after the Vikings did not receive one of the eight West Region berths announced Sunday, Nov. 16.

The Vikings finished the season 21-3 overall and were second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 13-3. Western, ranked No.17 nationally in the final AVCA/NCAA II Coaches Poll, was No.6 in last week's West Region rating and won both its matches this week, defeating Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage.

Six of the eight West Region berths, including all five of the at-large berths, went to schools from the California Collegiate Athletic Association. No.5 seed Chico State has a 20-10 record, and No.7 Cal State L.A. is 20-7 and lost four of its last six matches. GNAC champion Western Oregon, which is 22-2, received the No.6 seed.

Western was 8-0 in non-conference play, including two victories over teams in the national tournament. The Vikings defeated New Haven, Conn., the top seed in the East Region, in five sets, at the Minnesota Duluth tournament on Sept. 13. Later that day, the Vikings beat the host Bulldogs, now the No.3 seed in the Central Region, in four sets.