Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Crusader volleyball team couldn't match the balanced attack of the host Vikings on Saturday night.

Kendra Bodine had a match-high 16 kills and Madi Farrell added 15 more for the Northwest Nazarene volleyball team, which battled hard but came up short, falling 25-12, 27-29, 25-23, 25-22 to No. 20-ranked Western Washington.

"We played better tonight and competed really hard," NNU head coach Doug English said. "Madi and Cami (Heninger) hit well tonight and our defense was awesome.

"I hope we keep this going forward into next weekend." 

A Michaela Hall kill sparked the Vikings in the opener, igniting a 5-0 run that snapped an early 5-5 tie and led to the hosts grabbing the first-set victory.

Hall was one of four Western Washington players with double-digits kills as the Vikings' balance proved to be the difference in the match.

A Farrell kill in the second set gave NNU (11-4 overall, 4-4 GNAC) a 14-11 edge as the Crusaders battled back strong, and a Cami Heninger kill gave them a set point, up 24-22.

It'd take a few more swings before the Crusaders finally evened the match, aided by back-to-back miscues by the host Vikings (10-6, 6-2).

All even at a set apiece, NNU tried to pull away in the third set, going up 14-8 and 16-9 on kills by Farrell, but the Vikings rallied with a 9-1 charge, then hung on late after a Heninger kill tied the set, 23-23.

The host Vikings then led the fourth and final set throughout, though a Mari Thomas kill got the Crusaders as close as 10-8 early, and a WWU attacking error made it 24-22 late.

While Bodine and Farrell led the offense, Hailey Cook added 43 assists and 11 digs for NNU, Bodine had 14 digs, Thomas had 18 digs, and Shayli Siegfreid added 17 digs.

The Crusaders now return home to host Alaska on Thursday and No. 9-ranked Alaska Anchorage on Saturday at the Johnson Sports Center at 7 p.m.