SPU-Chico State box score, play-by-play
       SPU-Sonoma State box score, play-by-play
       Complete tournament stats

ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – Lindsey Wodrich and her Seattle Pacific volleyball teammates felt they were being underestimated a bit when they took the court against 21st-ranked Sonoma State on Saturday night.

If that was true, it's not likely anyone else will underestimate the Falcons for the rest of the 2010 season.

Wodrich had 17 kills -- the last of which clinched the win – and hit a career-high .455, leading Seattle Pacific to a three-game sweep of previously undefeated Sonoma in the final match of the Seawolf Spike volleyball tournament.

Scores in Sonoma's Wolves Den were 25-22, 25-23, 25-19.

Coupled with Saturday's earlier 3-1 victory against Chico State, and Friday's wins against San Francisco State and Cal State Stanislaus, the Falcons swept their four matches in the season-opening tournament.

“We just went out there, we wanted it more than they did, and we delivered,” said Wodrich (Richland, Wash./Richland HS), who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and also had the match-clinching service ace on Saturday afternoon to finish off SPU's 25-18, 25-11, 17-25, 25-16 victory against Chico State. “We definitely knew (going 4-0) was possible. We just knew that we had to work our butts off, play all-out and leave it all on the court.”

The last time Seattle Pacific started 4-0 was in 2003, and that team went on to win its first seven.

Just like junior outside hitter Wodrich, Falcons coach Chris Johnson knew the potential was there to pull off the four-match tournament sweep.

“I definitely thought it was a realistic possibility, (although) I wouldn't go so far as to say it was an expectation,” Johnson said. “We just played solid defense against Chico, we were really giving them problems with our serves, and they were struggling with their passing game. We just stayed steady and consistent and aggressive with them.

“Against Sonoma, our defense was coming up huge the whole match. In the third game, we came up with some amazing digs. I'm just really proud of the way we played.”

The 17 kills for Wodrich against Sonoma State came on just 23 swings, and she had only two errors.

“Everything she touched was going down and causing problems,” Johnson said. “She was hitting a lot of nice little shots, faking them out and dropping it in front of them.”

Freshman Nikki Lowell (Claremont, Calif.) had 12 kills and hit .391, and joined Wodrich on the all-tournament team. Sophomore setter Shelby Swanson (Kennewick, Wash./Kamiakin HS) racked up 36 assists, and junior libero Anna Herold (Bothell, Wash./Shorecrest HS) had 19 digs.

Tied at 18-18 in Game 1, the Falcons went on a 4-1 run to go permanently in front, and Lowell sealed the game with a kill. Sonoma raced to a 17-1 lead in Game 2 and was up 17-12 when a kill by junior outside hitter Paige Hoffman (Encinitas, Calif.) started a 9-0 scoring surge. Freshman Holly Mueller (Saratoga, Calif.) served up the next eight points, which included two aces, and two kills apiece by Wodrich and Lowell, all adding up to a 21-17 lead.

SPU led for most of Game 3. Up 18-17, Swanson served five straight points, capping a 6-0 run that left the Falcons in control at 23-17.

“With every win comes a little more confidence,” Wodrich said.

The Falcons completely reversed last year's match against the Seawolves (3-1), who swept them in the Central Washington Tournament. In that match, Keala Peterson had 14 kills, and Ally Sather had 13. On Saturday, they were limited to six and eight, respectively.

In Saturday's four-game victory against Chico State, senior outside hitter Sarah Risser (Santa Barbara, Calif.) posted her third double-double in as many matches, this one with 14 kills and 11 digs. Hoffman (Encinitas, Calif.) led the way in hitting at .400 with 11 kills, and Swanson earned 39 assists. 


Seattle Pacific led for most of Game 1, then was in front for all of Game 2 after Wodrich served up six straight points to start it off. The Wildcats scored the last seven points of Game 3 to get within two games to one. Then, with Game 4 tied at 11-11, the Falcons ran off nine straight, the last eight of which Risser served..

SPU hit .243 against Chico, its best percentage of the season, and limited the Wildcats to just .097 hitting.


NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Seawolf Spike
Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010
Sonoma State University/Rohnert Park, Calif.

Seattle Pacific 3, Chico State 1

Game scores – 25-18, 25-11, 17-25, 25-16.

Service aces – SPU: Sarah Risser 4, Shelby Swanson 3, Lindsey Wodrich 2. Angie Pricco 2. Chico: Molly Ratto 2.
Kills – SPU: Risser 14, Nikki Lowell 13, Paige Hoffman 11. Chico: Makenzie Fahnestock 9.
Assists – SPU: Selby Swanson 39. Chico: Sable Vilaecusa 30.
Blocks – SPU: Hoffman 4, Lowell 3, Swanson 2. Chico: Crystal Trifeletti 2.
Digs – SPU: Anna Herold 16, Risser 11, Holly Mueller 11. Chico: Jessica Simms 14, Fahnestock 12.
Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) – SPU: Hoffman 11-1-25--.400; Lowell 13-4-26--.346; SPU 51-17-140--.243. Chico: Jessica Leek 8-3-22--.227; Trifeletti 7-3-18--.222; Chico 37-24-134--.097.
Attendance – 50.

Seattle Pacific 3, No. 21 Sonoma State 0

 

Game scores – 25-22, 25-23, 25-19.

 

Service aces – SPU: Lindsey Wodrich 2, Holly Mueller 2. Sonoma: Nicole Gragnola 2.

Kills – SPU: Wodrich 17, Nikki Lowell 12. Sonoma: Allyson Sather 8, Keala Peterson 6, Lindsay Lytle 6, Kendahl Batiste 6.

Assists – SPU: Shelby Swanson 36. Sonoma: Hayley Ross 25.

Digs – SPU: Ann Herold 19. Sonoma: Taylor Krenwinkel 18.

Blocks – SPU: Angie Pricco 3. Sonoma: Batiste 2.

Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) — SPU: Wodrich 17-2-23--.455; Lowell 12-2-23--.391; SPU 46-21-119--.210. Sonoma: Lytle 6-1-16--.312; Sather 8-3-21--.238; Sonoma 32-17-113--.133.

Attendance – 143.


ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP -- Lindsey Wodrich (SPU)
Nikki Lowell (SPU)
Lauren Walsh (San Francisco State)
Lianne Vicchio (Cal State Stanislaus)
Jessica Leek (Chico State)
Taylor Krenwinkel (Sonoma State)