THE SCHEDULE: Thursday, Oct. 8: Seattle Pacific at Central Washington
Nicholson Pavilion/Ellensburg, Wash.
Live Webcast and live stats on this link.
Saturday, Oct. 10: NW Nazarene at Seattle Pacific, 7 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion (2,650)/Seattle, Wash.
Live Webcast and live stats this link.
Weekly release, with complete stats
SPU player Paige Hoffman talks Dig Pink
SEATTLE – One match went exactly the way they wanted. The other one, not quite.
So the Seattle Pacific volleyball team will be in bounceback mode when it hits the road for the first time in three weeks, visiting Central Washington in Ellensburg on Thursday. SPU returns home to face Northwest Nazarene on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion, when it will be Dig Pink Night to raise awareness of and support the fight against breast cancer.
The Falcons came up with one of their best performances of the season offensively and were on the top of their game defensively in a three-game sweep of Western Washington last Wednesday in Brougham Pavilion, 25-20, 25-22, 25-13. That helped widen the gap in the standings between SPU and the other eight Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams.
But that gap narrowed last Saturday night in Brougham. The Falcons outplayed Montana State Billings in almost every statistical department. But the resilient Yellowjackets refused to go down, fighting off six match points in the fourth game, and eventually pulling out a five-game victory, 25-22, 19-25, 21-25, 31-29, 15-12.
Central Washington started out hot, winning seven of its first eight in preseason play. But the Wildcats are now 9-7 overall, and just 1-4 in the GNAC.
SPU and Northwest Nazarene already have engaged in a five-gamer, with the Falcons coming for 2-1 down to win in Nampa, Idaho, on Sept. 17 in the conference opener.
The Falcons hit the midpoint of their conference schedule next week with home matches against Alaska Anchorage on Oct. 15 and Alaska Fairbanks on Oct. 17.
CAN YOU DIG PINK?
The Dig Pink program to promote breast cancer awareness and raise funds for further research is in its second year nationwide, and Seattle Pacific will take part in it for the first time when Northwest Nazarene visits on Saturday night.
Fans who come to the game wearing pink will have the cost of their ticket donated to the Side-Out Foundation, which channels funds toward education and research. Fans also will have a chance to serve for T-shirts during the 10-minute break. Envelopes will be passed out to the crowd for those wishing to make an additional donation, or fans can contribute online on SPU's Dig Pink Page, or at www.side-out.org.
SPEAKING OF THE FALCONS
With several teams still bunched very close in the upper half of the GNAC standings, this week's two matches take on added importance. And coach Chris Johnson is counting on the Falcons to shake off last Saturday's disappointing loss and get right back at it.
“Central is a team we can get pumped up for. They're our rival,” Johnson said. “They're definitely dangerous despite their conference record. They have good players, and they've beaten some good teams.”
Northwest Nazarene looms as just as tough of an opponent on Saturday as the Wildcats do on Thursday, even though SPU will be back home to face the Crusaders.
“They have good players at all positions, which I believe that we have, as well,” Johnson said. “If they beat us, they're right back on top of the conference. So I'm definitely expecting two tough matches this week.”
“These are two good opportunities for us,” he added.
SCOUTING CENTRAL WASHINGTON
All-time series: CWU leads, 30-27. Current series streak: CWU won 2. Last time: CWU 3, SPU 1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22 on Oct. 16, 2008 at Ellensburg). Central Washington on the Web.
Wildcats in a nutshell: Central is coming off of last Saturday's three-game loss at Western Washington, 25-16, 31-29, 25-16. Central Washington is led on the attack by senior Erin Norris, who has a team-high 168 kills and hits .244, and junior middle blocker Kristel Baeckel, who hits at .274. Sophomore setter Carlee Marble has the second-best per-game assist average in the GNAC at 10.06 per game, and Norris has delivered 44 service aces, by far the most in the conference (no one else has more than 31). Junior libero Brandie Vea also is a conference pace setter, racking up 355 digs for an average of 6.12 per game. SPU and Central are the top two defensive teams in the conference in terms of lowest opponents' hitting percentage (.152 for SPU, .163 for Central).
SCOUTING NORTHWEST NAZARENE
All-time series: SPU leads, 15-4. Current series streak: SPU won 2. Last time: SPU 3, NW Nazarene 2 (20-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-23, 15-6 on Sept. 17, 2009 at Nampa). Northwest Nazarene on the Web.
Crusaders in a nutshell: In a very tight battle atop the GNAC standings, Northwest Nazarene is one of the contenders. The Crusaders are coming off a five-game homecourt victory against the same Montana State Billings team that came to Brougham Pavilion last Saturday night and pulled out a five-gamer against the Falcons. NNU's biggest weapons are 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter Lindsay Grant and 6-0 senior middle blocker Cammy Dranginis. Grant is this week's GNAC Player of the Week after pounding a career-high 29 kills and collecting 21 digs in last Thursday's five-game triumph against Billings. Dranginis earlier this year set the conference record for career blocks. She now has 436.
HOW TO THEY COMPARE?
(GNAC rank in parentheses)
Hitting percent SPU .214 (1) CWU .197 (6) NNU .207 (4)
Opponent hit percent SPU .152 (1) CWU .163 (2) NNU .166 (3)
Kills per game SPU 13.13 (1) CWU 13.03 (2) NNU 12.05 (6)
Assists per game SPU 12.19 (1) CWU 11.31 (6) NNU 12.09 (2)
Aces per game SPU 1.25 (T8) CWU 1.77 (2) NNU 1.25 (T8)
Blocks per game SPU 1.84 (5) CWU 1.94 (3) NNU 1.53 (8)
Digs per game SPU 15.87 (4) CWU 18.30 (2) NNU 18.78 (1)
MOST RECENT SPU STARTERS
Oct. 3 vs. Montana State Billings, L 2-3
Player Kills Pct. Aces Asts. Digs Blocks
Sarah Risser 19 .200 2 1 31 0
Paige Hoffman 7 .222 0 1 2 6
Lindsey Wodrich 16 .000 3 1 18 4
Amber Johnson 14 .375 0 0 1 8
Angie Pricco 4 .250 2 0 1 3
Cortney Weedman 2 .333 0 30 5 0
Anna Herold 0 .000 0 6 26 0
SEATTLE PACIFIC 72 .176 7 68 99 23
DOUBLE-DOUBLES AND OTHER DELIGHTFUL DIGITS
-- Shelby Swanson, Sarah Risser and Lindsey Wodrich all had double-doubles in last Saturday's five-gamer against Montana State Billings, and Cortney Weedman did likewise last Wednesday against Western Washington, giving Seattle Pacific 21 such performances this fall. That tops last year's season total of 20, with 11 matches still to go on the current schedule.
Junior outside hitter Risser (Santa Barbara, Calif.) now has eight for the season and 11 for her career. Sophomore outside hitter Wodrich (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) has five in 2009 and 10 altogether. Senior setter Weedman (Scottsdale, Ariz.) picked up her third of the season and fourth as a Falcon, and freshman setter Swanson (Kennewick, Wash./Kamiakin HS) recorded her first.
Also in the double-double department this season are junior setter Joelle Perez (Vancouver, Wash./Heritage HS) and sophomore outside hitter Priscilla Collings (Chula Vista, Calif.) with two apiece.
Risser, Wodrich and Collings are all kill-dig double-double combos; Weedman, Perez and Swanson are assist-dig combos.
-- The Falcons now lead the GNAC in four statistical departments: hitting (.214), kills per game (13.13) assists per game (12.19), and toughest team to hit against (.152). SPU has kept its opponents below .200 hitting for 10 straight matches, including four below .100 during that stretch.
Click on this link for a complete look at GNAC statistics.
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
-- SPU is on the brink of its 100th Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory The Falcons now have 94 since conference play began in 2001.
-- Lindsey Wodrich is just seven kills away from 300.
-- Robin De Jong (Santa Barbara, Calif.), who has missed the early part of the season with an injury, is nine kills away from 200.
-- Priscilla Collings, who had a career-high 22 kills at Northwest Nazarene on Sept. 17, is eight away from 200.
-- Kylie Johnson (Tucson, Ariz.) needs just five kills to reach 100.
-- Joelle Perez, after racking up 1,718 assists in her first two seasons, needs 71 to reach 2,000. Now at 1,929 after picking up nine against Western Oregon last week, Perez has climbed into the GNAC's all-time top 20 for assists.
-- Paige Hoffman (Encinitas, Calif.) needs nine more blocks to reach 100 and eight more points for 300.
-- Sarah Risser is 41 points away from 500.\-- Anna Herold (Bothell, Wash./Shorecrest HS) continues to close in on 1,000 digs. She comes into the week at 922. She ranks No. 24 in all of Division II at 5.12 digs per game.
MILESTONES MADE
-- With 14 kills against Montana State Billings last Saturday, sophomore Amber Johnson (Mount Vernon, Wash./Mount Vernon HS) passed 100 as a Falcon, giving her 104.
-- Senior Jessica Bettencourt (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) now has 118.5 points for the season, bettering her previous single-season best of 113.5, which she recorded as a freshman in 2006.-- Wodrich's career-high 31-dig performance against Billings gave her 152 for the season, pushing her past the 127 she racked up last year as a freshman.
FALCON REPLAY
Seattle Pacific got a good result and a not-so-good one in their two GNAC matches last week.
The Falcons swept aside four-time conference champion Western Washington on Wednesday, 25-20, 25-22, 25-13. SPU came from five points down to pull out Game 2, then bolted to a 10-2 lead in Game 3 and never looked back. Sarah Risser's 17 kills and Cortney Weedman's double-double of 22 assists and 11 digs set the pace.
Then, just as SPU was on the verge of preserving its perfect conference record, Montana State Billings had other ideas. The Yellowjackets fought off six match points against them and rallied for a five-game victory last Saturday, 25-22, 19-25, 21-25, 31-29, 15-12. The Falcons got double-doubles from Risser (19 kills, 31 digs), Lindsey Woodrich (16 kills, 18 digs) and freshman Shelby Swanson 29 assists, 14 digs).
Seattle Pacific still finished the week atop the standings at 4-1, but three teams -- Western Washington, Alaska Anchorage and Northwest Nazarene -- were all right behind at 4-2.
POLLING PLACE
The Falcons were picked for a fourth-place finish in the GNAC in the preseason coaches poll. SPU received 43 points, including one first-place vote.
Western Washington was tabbed to win the conference crown, receiving six first-place votes and 60 points. Defending champion Western Oregon is second with 50 points, and Northwest Nazarene is third with 47 points and two first-place votes.
ON THE HONOR ROLL
-- Junior outside hitter Sarah Risser and sophomore middle blocker Amber Johnson were named to the all-tournament at the Western Washington Invitational on Sept. 12. In the four tournament matches against Notre Dame de Namur, Grand Canyon, No. 7-ranked West Texas A&M and defending Canadian champion British Columbia, Risser led in kills per game (4.27), pounding 64 altogether. had She double-doubled in kills and digs in the first three matches. Johnson set the pace in hitting percentage at .477, with 27 kills and just three errors on 51 attacks.
TICKET TALK
Tickets for SPU's home matches can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 3rd Ave. W.) on match day. Ticket windows open one hour prior to the listed start time for all home matches.
General admission tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special general admission rates by calling (206) 281-2085 at least 72 hours in advance.
UP NEXT
A home-friendly portion of the schedule through the first half of conference play winds up next week for the Falcons when they play hot to Alaska Anchorage on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. and Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m. Seattle Pacific then plays three straight and five of its last seven GNAC contests on the road.
AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for a look at results, schedules and notes from the GNAC.
GNAC STANDINGS
Conference Overall
Seattle Pacific 4-1 10-7
Western Washington 4-2 11-6
Alaska Anchorage 4-2 12-7
Northwest Nazarene 4-2 11-7
Montana State Billings 4-3 10-8
Western Oregon 3-3 6-11
Alaska Fairbanks 2-3 8-8
Central Washington 1-4 9-7
Saint Martin's 0-6 1-12
