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In solid position to defend its league championship, the Western Washington University volleyball team begins the second half of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play tonight, entertaining Western Oregon University on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Saint Martin's University on Saturday (7 p.m.) at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø campus.

Saturday's match will be "Dig Pink" to increase breast cancer awareness. Fans are encouraged to wear pink that night to help in that effort.

The Vikings, 9-4 overall, are tied for second place in the GNAC standings with Alaska Anchorage (11-6 overall). Seattle Pacific (12-4), which tied with ²ÝÁñÉçÇø for last year's title, leads at the halfway point by half a match at 7-1.

Western Oregon is 7-6 overall and tied for fourth in the GNAC at 6-3. The Wolves have won their last three matches, winning in four sets at Saint Martin's last week after sweeping both Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene at home the previous week.

In their first meeting this season on Sept. 17 at Monmouth, Ore., ²ÝÁñÉçÇø rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat the Wolves in five sets. Junior outside hitter Marlayna Geary (Tacoma/Bellarmine) had a match and season-high 24 kills and a career-high 30 digs for the Vikings in that contest.

²ÝÁñÉçÇø holds a 25-13 series advantage, winning the last seven meetings with the Wolves.

Saint Martin's is 3-12 overall and eighth in the league at 2-7. The Saints, who are at Simon Fraser on Thursday, have lost their last seven matches.

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