Despite missing four starters from last season’s NCAA tourney run, Western Washington University’s women’s basketball has been picked No. 1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coaches Poll, released Oct. 21.
The Vikings will have a lot to replace, including a trio of all-GNAC selections in do-it-all forward Brooke Walling and guards Riley Dykstra and Stephanie Peterson. Senior forward Aspen Garrison, a starter last season, is out with a season-ending injury.
But the Vikings, who have won back-to-back GNAC tourney titles, have some returning firepower.
Back are two preseason all-GNAC picks in guards Olivia Wikstrom and Mason Oberg. Wikstrom averaged 7.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season in her second year on the team. Oberg averaged 11.2 points per game last season and scored 17 in the tourney championship against MSU Billings.
“Mason is the glue of our team,” head coach Carmen Dolfo said in a statement. “Her leadership is essential to our team’s success.”
Also returning is sophomore guard Demi Dykstra, a Lynden Christian alum who was the only freshman on the roster last year to appear in all 31 games. She scored a team-high 23 points in a win during the alumni game Saturday, Oct. 26.
“This year, we have just been working so well together in practice,” Dykstra said. “The alumni game showed us how well we play together when we don’t play selfishly.”
Also back is senior Maddy Grandbois, a lockdown defender, who will be joined by newcomer and sophomore guard Libby Stump, a Lynden Christian grad who transferred from the University of Montana.
With both of Western’s starting posts gone from last season (Walling and Garrison), Dykstra said the Vikings will be changing their offense from two posts in and three guards out to one post in and four guards out.
“Offensively, we want to push the ball run in the open court,” Oberg said.
These Vikings have big shoes to fill after going 24-7 overall and making it all the way to the West Regional Championships semifinal. The program has advanced to each of the last four NCAA Championship tournaments, including playing in the 2022 national title game.
But Oberg sees this team continuing the Vikings’ recent success.
“[I’m] looking forward to trying to get back to GNAC tourney and trying to gel with this group,” Oberg said. “The sky is the limit and we kind of do look like the underdog right now with the injuries and new faces.”
BY THE NUMBERS
3 – Times in a row both the women’s and men’s cross country teams have captured their respective GNAC titles following the championships Saturday, Oct. 26 at Sudden Valley Golf Course. Junior Jeret Gillingham was the top finisher for Western, winning the men’s race in 24:18. Next up is the NCAA West Regionals at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 in Billings, Montana.
6 – Wins in a row by the women’s soccer team to end their regular-season home schedule after beating Central Washington 4-0 on Saturday. The Vikings (9-2-4, 8-0-2 GNAC) next head to Western Oregon for a 2:30 p.m. match Thursday, Oct. 31.
4 – Consecutive wins by the men’s soccer team after taking down Simon Fraser in a 3-1 road victory Saturday. The Vikings (6-4-3, 4-2-1 GNAC) are tied for second place in the conference and head to Northwest Nazarene for a 4 p.m. match on Thursday.
2 – Top-10 performances by women’s golfer Laura F. Lee during the Vikings’ two-tourney trip to Hawaii on Oct. 21–22 and 25–26. The junior earned GNAC Golfer of the Week honors Monday, Oct. 28 for her efforts.
THIS WEEK IN VIKING HISTORY
Oct. 30, 2005 – Rob Smith, the most successful football coach in school history, announced his decision to resign at the end of the 2005 season. Smith, 48 at the time, earned conference Coach of the Year honors seven times while compiling a 109-62-1 record across 17 seasons. He guided the Vikings to five national playoff appearances and reached the NAIA Division II Championship game in 1996.
BEST BETS
Thursday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m. – Volleyball vs. Western Oregon, Bellingham. The Vikings have suffered two straight losses, including three of their last five. Western (7-9, 6-4 GNAC) is tied for third in the conference and could put a two-game cushion between itself and Western Oregon (13-6, 5-5 GNAC) with a win on Halloween.
Saturday, Nov. 2, 4 p.m. – Men’s soccer vs. Saint Martin’s, Bellingham. The Vikings, tied for second in the GNAC, should stay on track against a winless Saints squad (0-13, 0-7 GNAC); 7 p.m. – Volleyball vs. Saint Martin’s, Bellingham. The Vikings need to secure a win against the Saints (5-14, 3-8 GNAC), as Alaska Fairbanks (which is tied with WWU), is facing an even-worse MSU Billings team that is winless in conference (0-11).
Friday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m. – Men’s basketball vs. Cal State Dominguez Hill, Bellingham. The Vikings, ranked No. 6 in the Preseason Coaches Poll, kick off their season by hosting State Dominguez Hills, Cal Poly Humboldt and Simon Fraser in the two-day West Region Crossover tournament Nov. 8–9.
Tickets. See wwuvikings.com/Tickets or in person one hour prior to game time.
Parking. Free for sports. For volleyball, lot 19G for general audience; 9G for season ticket holders. For soccer, C lots on south campus. See the map at wwu.edu/parking.
Can’t make it? Stream it
All home games are streamed via a live and free YouTube webcast. Find links online at cascadiadaily.com.
If you have a smart TV, search for “WWU Athletics” on YouTube.
We want to hear from you
Got a WWU sports-related news tip or interesting item for this notebook, or a good story idea? We’re all ears. Send to newstips@cascadiadaily.com, subject line: WWU sports notebook.
CDN Contributor Meri-Jo Borzilleri will return next week.
Eric Trent is CDN’s news producer; reach him at erictrent@cascadiadaily.com.
