THE SCHEDULE:       Saturday, Nov. 13: SPU at Mont. St. Billings, 6 p.m. 
                                     Alterowitz Gymnasium/Billings, Mont. 
                                     Live Webcast       Live stats


       Weekly release, with complete stats (PDF)

SEATTLE – Doesn't seem like that long ago when the volleyball regular season began in California for Seattle Pacific. On Saturday night, it ends in Montana.

But that's just the regular season.

The Falcons (23-2, 15-2 GNAC), after turning the tables on Western Washington last Thursday, then sweeping past Simon Fraser on Saturday, wind up the Great Northwest Athletic Conference portion of their schedule at Montana State Billings on Saturday night at 6.

A victory against the Yellowjackets guarantees SPU at least a share of the conference crown. Or, the Falcons also could wind up winning it outright, depending on how Western does in its final two matches this week at home against Central Washington Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. Outright or shared, it would be SPU's first conference title since 2006.

Regardless, Seattle Pacific then will be off to the NCAA Division II West Regionals. In all likelihood, that tournament will played at Cal State San Bernardino, and the Falcons will be a high-seeded team – possibly as high as No. 2 – when first-round regional play begins next Thursday, Nov. 18.

SPU comes into the regular-season finale on an up note. The Falcons came back from an opening-game loss to Western Washington last Thursday to secure a four-game victory, 20-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-18. Then on Senior Night Saturday, Seattle Pacific finished a perfect home season, sweeping past Simon Fraser, 25-19, 25-20, 25-13, to go 9-0 in Brougham.





TITLE, TITLE, WHO'S GOT THE TITLE?
If Seattle Pacific and Western Washington tie for first place in the final GNAC standings, they will be declared co-champions, since they split their season series, and each also split with Alaska Anchorage. Whether outright or shared, SPU would have its first conference crown since 2006.

The automatic qualifying berth to nationals, which is awarded to the conference champion, would go the Falcons on the basis of being ranked higher in the final West Regional poll, which was released on Wednesday.

RISSER REELS IN WEEKLY HONOR
Senior outside hitter Sarah Risser (Santa Barbara, Calif.), who had a double-double of 12 kills and 15 digs against Western Washington, has been selected as the GNAC volleyball Player of the Week for Nov. 1-6.

Risser followed up last Thursday's performance against Western by hammering a team-high 13 kills in last Saturday's victory against Simon Fraser. Risser hit .290 against the Clan, and her 15.5 points in that match pushed her past the 1,000-point mark for her career. She comes into this week's match at Billings with 1,007.

That marked the fifth time a Falcons player has earned the weekly GNAC award this season. Junior outside hitter Lindsey Wodrich (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) has won two. Sophomore setter Shelby Swanson (Kennewick, Wash./Kamiakin HS) and freshman middle blocker Nikki Lowell (Claremont, Calif.) each have won once.

MAKING THE GRADE
For the second straight year, Lindsey Wodrich has earned a spot on both the GNAC All-Academic team and on the CoSIDA Academic All-District team.

Wodrich, a family and consumer sciences major with a 3.65 GPA, was one of four Falcons named to the conference academic squad. She is joined by junior opposite Paige Hoffman (Encinitas, Calif.) who, like Wodrich, made it for the second time. Shelby Swanson (3.87, undeclared major) and sophomore middle blocker Angie Pricco (Brier, Wash./Blanchet HS, 3.24 in business administration) were named for the first time.

Wodrich gained a spot on the CoSIDA College Division (NCAA II, III and NAIA) District VIII third team.

Athletes on the GNAC team must have at least a 3.2 GPA, be in their second year of competition at their school, and must be a starter or significant reserve. CoSIDA honorees also must be a starter or key reserve, and must carry at least a 3.3 GPA.

POSTSEASON PLANS
With their 23-2 record, the Falcons are all but officially assured of a spot in the NCAA West Regional tournament. It will become official on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. PST when the tournament selections are announced. Click on this link to watch NCAA webcast.

The eight regional champions will gather in Louisville, Ky., from Dec. 2-4 for the quarterfinals, semifinals and title match.

LOWELL AIMING FOR A RECORD
Redshirt freshman middle blocker Nikki Lowell is on the verge of setting Seattle Pacific's single-season school record for best hitting percentage. With one regular-season match left, plus the NCAA tournament, Lowell is hitting .385. The all-time school record – set in 1987, just the second year of the Falcon program – is .370 by Gaylene MacDonald.

If Lowell does that, it will be her second school record of the season. Earlier, she set a single-match mark when she hit for .833 accuracy (10 kills, no errors on 12 attacks) on Sept. 27 at home in a sweep of Montana State Billings.

The single-season GNAC record for hitting percentage is .418 by Central Washington's LeAnne McGahuey in 2004.

SPEAKING OF THE FALCONS
Even though it's the regular-season finale, enough is still on the line in Billings that coach Chris Johnson and his players are approaching it with the same focus that they have for each of their first 25 matches.

“If we win that one, we'll assure ourselves of at least a share of the conference championship. That's very exciting,” Johnson said. “It's good to see the program going in that direction again.”

Billings is a tough place to play. While the Falcons have won there previously, they have not come away victorious since the Yellowjackets joined the GNAC in 2007.

“They're just high enough where the elevation has a bit of an effect on the ball, especially with the serves,” Johnson said. “We have to be aware of that. … We're excited. We think we've got the ability to win this one this time.”

Certainly, SPU would like to head into the NCAA tourney on the right note.

“We want to continue to just follow our initial goals, which were to play our best every single point and work hard every time we hit the court,” Johnson said. “We need to get the win and we need to stay healthy. I think those are the two most important things.”

SCOUTING THE MONTANA STATE BILLINGS YELLOWJACKETS (Nov. 13)
All-time series: SPU leads, 18-7. Current series streak: SPU won 1.
Last time: SPU 3, Montana State Billings 0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-22 at Seattle; Sept. 27, 2010). Montana State Billings on the Web.
Yellowjackets in a nutshell: The Yellowjackets, with just five victories in 27 matches this season, are led on offense by senior Jennifer Boe, who ranks sixth in the conference in kills per game at 3.01. She had a team-leading six kills when SPU swept Billings in Seattle on Sept. 27. Boe also has 29 service aces. Melissa Porter has 80 blocks for the Yellowjackets, including 24 solos. The Falcons had their best hitting night of the season when they beatBillings in September, finishing at .337 and limiting the Jackets to just .049 – one of nine teams that has hit less than .100 against SPU's defense.

HOW TO THEY COMPARE?
(With conference ranking)         SPU             MSUB
Hitting percent                              .232 (2)      .103 (9)
Opponent's hitting percent       .120 (1)      .217 (9)
Kills per game                            13.81 (1)       9.50 (9)
Assists per game                      12.78 (1)       8.79 (9)
Aces per game                             1.66 (3)       1.44 (4)
Blocks per game                          1.90 (5)       1.89 (6)
Digs per game                            16.34 (2)     13.29 (9)

POLLING PLACE
The Falcons climbed four spots to No. 14 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II poll, which was released on Monday. SPU received 376 points in the voting. The Falcons are one spot of Western Washington, which fell two places following Seattle Pacific's four-game victory against the Vikings last week.

The Falcons and Western Washington swapped places – again in this week's NCAA West Region poll, the final one of the season. SPU regained the No. 2 spot, and the Vikings slipped to No. 3. Cal State San Bernardino wrapped up a season-long stay at No. 1.

The three conference champions – GNAC, California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and Pacific West – automatically qualify for the NCAA West Regionals. The next five highest-ranked teams among the non-champions get the remaining berths.

MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
--Sophomore setter Shelby Swanson is still very much on target for a 1,000-assist season. She starts the week with 953. She would be the first setter with 1,000 assists for SPU since current senior Joelle Perez racked up 1,118 as a freshman in 2007.
--Senior outside hitter Sarah Risser is two kills away from 900.
--Freshman middle blocker Nikki Lowell is 20 points away from 300 for her career.

MILESTONES MADE
--With 30.5 points last week, Sarah Risser passed the 1,000-point mark for her career. She now has 1,007.
--Sophomore middle blocker Angie Pricco has pushed her career hitting average above .200. She enters the week at .202.
--Junior outside hitter Lindsey Wodrich picked up her 600th career kill and 700th career point last Saturday against Simon Fraser. She now has 602 and 707, respectively.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES AND OTHER DELIGHTFUL DIGITS
--With three double-doubles last Thursday against Western Washington, the Falcons how have 27 in 25 matches this season. Sarah Risser collected her 10th, giving her 29 for her career, Lindsey Wodrich picked up her seventh, giving her 17 altogether, and Shelby Swanson recorded her sixth, pushing her total to nine. Paige Hoffman had three for her career, all of them coming this year.
-- SPU has kept 22 of its 25 opponents below .200 hitting this season. That includes both of last week's matches, when Western Washington was limited to .107, and Simon Fraser hit just .133. They also have kept nine opponents below .100 hitting.
--The Falcons lead the GNAC in three major statistical categories: opponents' hitting percentage (.120), kills per game (13.81), assists per game (12.78). SPU is No. 2 in hitting percentage (.232) and digs (16.34).
--Shelby Swanson leads the GNAC in assists at 11.48 per game.
--Freshman middle blocker Nikki Lowell retains the GNAC hitting lead at .385. She has a 48-point lead over No. 2 Kristel Baeckel of Central Washington (.337).
--Junior outside hitter Paige Hoffman is No. 6 in hitting at .305.
--Factoring in just GNAC matches, Lowell and Hoffman are 1-2 in hitting at .387 and .335, respectively.
-- Senior outside hitter Sarah Risser remains No. 2 in kills at 3.86 per game, and has moved back up to No. 2 in points per game with her 4.41 average. She also ranks fifth in service aces per game at 0.41.
--Junior libero Anna Herold (Bothell, Wash./Shorecrest HS) is No. 3 in the GNAC in digs per game at 5.23. Allison Gotz of Western Washington leads at 5.46.
--Lowell has moved back up to No. 6 in the GNAC for blocks per game at 0.98. Angie Pricco is still No. 8 at 0.88.
-- Lindsey Wodrich remains No. 5 in GNAC kills this week at 3.16.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING
--Nikki Lowell ranks 15th in NCAA Division II hitting with her .385 average.
--Shelby Swanson is No. 7 in assists per game at 11.48.
--Sarah Risser ranks No. 25 in kills per game at 3.86.
--Anna Herold is No. 27 in digs at 5.23.
--The Falcons are No. 16 in D-2 for assists at 12.78 per game. They rank 18th in kills at 13.81.

Click on this link for a look at where Seattle Pacific and GNAC players and teams rank in NCAA Division II statistics.

AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for a look at results, schedules, stats and notes from the GNAC.


GNAC STANDINGS 
                                            Conference     Overall
Seattle Pacific                         15-2             23-2
Western Washington            14-2             17-3
Alaska Anchorage                  11-5            16-8
Western Oregon                     11-5            13-8
Central Washington               11-6            13-9
Northwest Nazarene               7-10            7-16
Montana State Billings           5-12             5-22
Alaska Fairbanks                    4-12             6-16
Simon Fraser                           4-14             4-18
Saint Martin's                           1-15             2-20