The Vikings closed out their regular season Saturday night at Carver Gymnasium against the Yellowjackets of Montana State University Billings. With playoff hopes on the line, Western came into the match ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II West Region polls.

Carver Gym was packed—more than 500 boisterous fans came out to support their Vikings. Western played a solid defensive match, crushing the Yellowjackets in a straight set sweep 25-22, 25-19 and 25-21.

The Vikings wrapped up their season at 17-10 overall and 10-6 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. They finished tied for third place with the Yellowjackets.

Despite the victory, it was announced Monday that the Vikings will miss out on one of the eight NCAA national playoff berths, effectively ending their 2009 season.

Western freshman outside hitter Marlayna Geary finished the regular season with her 13th double-double and her 23rd match recording more than 10 kills.

“She [Geary] always gets in a groove out there, and it’s hard to shut down a competitor like her,” Yellowjackets head coach Steve Smith said.

Both teams staged rallies to keep the first set evenly matched. After a Yellowjacket rally closed Western's lead to one point at 16-15, the Vikings pulled it together to edge out Montana State at 25-22.

“We were consistent with our offense and defense, and we stayed calm and relaxed. [We] just had fun,” Western junior libero Allison Gotz said.

The second set was similar to the first, as both teams traded point for point until the Vikings began to gain momentum halfway through the set. Western held on to run away with the victory 25-19. The third set was the closest of the night, with no team separating themselves by more than three points until a late

Western rally finished off the Yellowjackets at 25-21, securing the match victory for the Vikings.

Western sophomore middle blocker Emily Jepsen had a team-high of 11 kills and recorded 10 digs for her ninth double-double this season.

The victory sealed the Vikings’ season with a 7-5 record at Carver Gymnasium, the first time they have had more than three losses on their home court in more than six seasons.

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