BURNABY, B.C. – The 2021 Simon Fraser volleyball season came to an end at the NCAA Division II championship tournament Thursday afternoon. SFU, seeded seventh in the West Region, fell in four sets (25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23) to No. 2 seed Western Washington in a regional quarter-final contest in San Bernardino, California. It is SFU's second all-time NCAA tournament appearance, having previously made it in 2016.

"Obviously, we were hoping for a different result but I was very proud of our team's gritty performance today," said SFU head coach Gina Schmidt. "This whole season, our team has shown great character and teamwork and today's game was no different. Our seniors have made a huge impact on the program over the past five years and we're grateful for the foundation they've laid for our team's future success."

Freshman opposite Brooke Dexter led the team with 23 kills, 18 digs and 25 points. Sophomore outside hitter Camryn Vosloh had 14 kills and three block assists.

Setter Julia Tays passed out 41 assists and libero Bianca Te recorded 17 digs in their final matches in SFU uniforms.

Freshman middle Abby Willett had two solo blocks and three block assists. Sophomore middle Kayln Hartmann went up for three solo blocks and one assist.

SFU outhit WWU .244 to .229, had more team blocks (11-7) and more digs (70-66).
 

Tess Biscup and Gabby Gunterman had 17 kills each for the Vikings, who jumped out to 12-5 lead in the fourth set as they looked to clinch the win.

Back-to-back Hartman kills sparked SFU's comeback attempt. Vosloh and Willett teamed up for a block that drew SFU to within four points at 15-11. Then it was freshman outside hitter Jocelyn Sherman who knocked down two kills in a row, to tie the set at 16-16.

Western Washington answered back by winning six of the next seven points to go ahead 22-17. SFU evened the scoreline again with a 5-0 run, capped off by a Tays block. Te provided a big dig earlier in the play to keep the rally going. The two sides traded points before the Vikings won the last two to take the match 3-1, and advance to the West Region semifinal round.

SFU won an entertaining rally early in the third set to tie the score at 11-11. WWU had three attacks defended by outstanding digs, including a pancake on the third by Sherman. On the fourth attack, Willett was credited with the block to win SFU the point.

The teams were tied 12-12 when the Vikings went on a huge 8-0 run to take control. SFU closed the gap to four points at 22-18 and 24-20, but WWU was able to get the win.

SFU used a late second-set comeback to tie the match at a set apiece.

After the squads split the first 10 points, the Vikings took the lead on the next play, and built an advantage that stood at 19-16 when SFU rallied. Dexter provided a pair kills, and then Sherman tied the set at 19-19 by hitting a ball off the block and down to the court for a kill. SFU kept rolling with another Dexter kill before Hartmann and Tays combined on a block to finish off a 5-0 run.

WWU levelled the score at 21-21. SFU took the lead at 22-21 and 23-22 but the Vikings replied. At 23-23, Tays earned SFU a set point with a one-handed backhand tip over the net. Dexter finished off things off on the next play with her 10th and final kill of the set.

After taking a 2-1 edge in the opening set, WWU led almost the entire way, albeit by slim margins. A Vosloh kill for SFU made it 16-16, but the Vikings won the ensuing three points, which ended as the margin of victory in the first set 25-22.
 

SFU finishes the season with a record of 17 wins and nine losses overall, and 11-7 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, with an appearance in the NCAA Div. II tournament. It is one of only three teams to beat defending national champion California State San Bernardino – currently ranked second in the NCAA – so far this year. SFU did not compete in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dexter made history for the program by winning the GNAC and American Volleyball Coaches Association West Region Freshman of the Year awards. It marked the first time an SFU player has been bestowed with these honours. She and Tays were named to the GNAC All-Conference Team, while Hartmann and Te were honourable mentions.

A remarkable 10 players earned spots on the GNAC All-Academic Team, led by four-time member Te. Tays made it on the team for the third time. Junior Tyra Anderson, sophomore Kalissa Beltran, Hartmann, and sophomore Miriam Jauhiainen had repeat All-Academic appearances while Dexter, freshman Hanna Kolof and sophomore Kohl Peters, and Vosloh made their debuts in 2021.


 
With the conclusion of the season, middle Farnaaz Johal, Tays, and Te have finished their university playing careers and will graduate to the ranks of SFU's volleyball alumni.

Tays departs as the school's NCAA-era career assists leader with 3,895.

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