A handful of prep volleyball teams and pair of boys tennis teams have pulled away in the early season, while girls soccer and swim standings remain balanced through the first full week.
Western Washington University’s teams returned mixed results from recent non-league games, and the Vikings’ volleyball team has struggled during an 0-8 start.
For everything prep football-related, see this week’s football forecast.
Here’s everything else you may have missed from the fall sports season’s opening week.
Prep
Volleyball
Five Northwest Conference volleyball teams have separated from the rest through the first full week of the season.
Lynden, Lynden Christian, Meridian, Anacortes and Burlington-Edison remain unbeaten, with all except Lynden sitting at 3-0. The Lions have played just two games and won both.
Bellingham, Nooksack Valley and Sehome have each split the first two games of their seasons.
LC outlasted Ferndale in a five-set match (25-17, 22-25, 25-16, 20-25, 15-9) on Thursday, Sept. 7, winning its second full-length contest in as many days. The Lyncs carried that momentum into a 3-0 win over Squalicum on Monday, Sept. 11.
Lynden is yet to drop a set through its two games, most recently beating Ferndale in straight sets on Sept. 11. LC and Lynden will face off in a rivalry match at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, as one team will have to notch a loss.
Meridian is rolling through three games, and the Trojans defeated Lakewood in five sets (21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 15-11) on Sept. 11. Senior Emry Claeys put together a stellar game, finishing with 22 kills and 15 digs in the win.
Blaine, Ferndale, Mount Baker and Squalicum are still without a win.
Boys tennis
Bellingham and Sehome (each 2-0) lead all Whatcom County schools a week into the season.
The Bayhawks have been dominant, and their singles/doubles players are 13-1 through two matches. The Mariners are also an impressive 10-4 through their two contests.
Bellingham most recently swept Ferndale 7-0 on Sept. 11, while Sehome beat Lakewood 6-1 on Friday, Sept. 8. Squalicum (1-1) is also in the mix, as the Storm faced a tough matchup with Anacortes on Sept. 11 and lost, 5-2.
Girls soccer
Sehome (1-0-2) and Bellingham (2-0-1) battled to a 2-2, non-league tie on Tuesday, Sept. 12, with the Bayhawks’ junior midfielder Ivy Newell scoring both of her team’s goals.
Senior forward Audrey Holdridge led Ferndale to a 7-0 season-opening win over Squalicum on Sept. 7, and the Golden Eagles are one of just two NWC teams currently sitting at a perfect 2-0-0 record. They beat Mount Vernon 2-0 on Sept. 12 and will face Anacortes at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14.
Meridian is the only local 1A school with a win thus far, beating Friday Harbor 6-1 on Sept. 8. Lynden Christian, which reached last year’s 1A state championship game, is currently 0-4 to begin the season.
In-league games will begin for local teams on Monday, Sept. 18
Girls swim
Bellingham picked up two dual meet wins with a 103-73 win over Anacortes on Sept. 7 and a 104-44 victory against Squalicum on Sept. 12. The Bayhawks’ Grace Sorenson currently leads the county in the 200-yard freestyle, 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke.
Ferndale earned an 86-68 win over Sedro-Woolley on Sept. 12 and Blaine’s Hailey Ferrell, who swims co-op with the Golden Eagles, currently leads the county with her 56.98 second time in the 100-yard freestyle.
WWU
Volleyball
Western volleyball completed its non-league schedule by playing six teams ranked top-20 in the nation or better and finished the stretch 0-8 while winning 3-of-27 sets. (Five of the eight losses were in straight sets.)
The Vikings have just one senior and one junior on its 19-player roster, and 10 of Western’s current players are freshmen. Sophomore pin hitter Devyn Oestreich currently leads the team with 59 kills, slightly ahead of redshirt freshman Delaney Speer (53).
Sophomore setter Adele Holland has 148 assists through eight games while Oestreich (59), Speer (56) and redshirt freshman libero Finnley Claeys (51) lead the Vikings in digs.
Western will travel to No. 13 Central Washington (6-2) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14 for its Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule opener.
Women’s soccer
Western bounced back from a 4-0 loss to Concordia on Sept. 4 by defeating Cal State Los Angeles 1-0 at home on Saturday, Sept. 9.
Freshman midfielder Mie Cairns scored the game’s lone goal, her first of the season.
The defending national champion Vikings — currently ranked No. 1 in the nation among NCAA Division II schools — will travel to No. 2 Colorado School of Mines for a 6 p.m. game on Sept. 14.
Men’s soccer
The Vikings (1-2-1) have only one win through four matches, but the team’s strong defense has not allowed more than two goals in any single contest.
Sophomore Albin Jonsson and juniors Lucas Hakamada and Andrew Rotter netted goals for Western in a 3-1 win over Concordia on Sept. 7. The Vikings stayed on the road for a contest at Point Loma on Sept. 9, but lost 1-0.
Western’s next match will be the beginning of three straight at home, hosting the Colorado School of Mines at 7 p.m. on Sept. 14.
Girls soccer standings — Sept. 14
| Girls soccer | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L-T | W-L-T |
| Ferndale | 1-0-0 | 2-0-0 |
| Lakewood | 1-0-0 | 1-1-0 |
| Oak Harbor | 0-0-0 | 2-0-0 |
| Bellingham | 0-0-0 | 2-0-1 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 0-0-0 | 2-0-1 |
| Anacortes | 0-0-0 | 2-1-0 |
| Meridian | 0-0-0 | 2-1-0 |
| Sehome | 0-0-0 | 1-0-2 |
| Lynden | 0-0-0 | 1-1-1 |
| Burlington-Edison | 0-0-0 | 1-2-0 |
| Blaine | 0-0-0 | 0-0-1 |
| Nooksack Valley | 0-0-0 | 0-2-0 |
| Squalicum | 0-0-0 | 0-3-0 |
| Mount Vernon | 0-0-0 | 0-3-0 |
| Lynden Christian | 0-0-0 | 0-4-0 |
| Mount Baker | 0-1-0 | 0-1-0 |
Volleyball standings — Sept. 14
| Volleyball | League | Overall |
| Team | W-L | W-L |
| Lynden | 3-0 | 3-0 |
| Meridian | 3-0 | 3-0 |
| Burlington-Edison | 2-0 | 4-0 |
| Anacortes | 2-0 | 3-0 |
| Lynden Christian | 2-1 | 3-1 |
| Lakewood | 1-1 | 2-2 |
| Bellingham | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Nooksack Valley | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Sehome | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Oak Harbor | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Mount Vernon | 1-1 | 1-2 |
| Ferndale | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Sedro-Woolley | 0-2 | 0-2 |
| Mount Baker | 0-2 | 0-4 |
| Blaine | 0-3 | 0-3 |
| Squalicum | 0-3 | 0-3 |
The standings in this story were updated at 1:25 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14 to reflect the outcomes of games on Wednesday, Sept. 13.
