THE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Oct. 20:             Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's, 7:00 p.m.
                                                Marcus Pavilion / Lacey, Wash.
                                                No live stats       Live Webcast
 
Saturday, Oct. 22:              Seattle Pacific at Western Oregon, 7:00 p.m.
                                                New P.E. Building / Monmouth, Ore.
                                                Live stats       Live Webcast
 
Monday, Oct. 24                 Montana State Billings at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live stats        Live Webcast
 
 
        Weekly release, with complete stats (PDF)
 
SEATTLE – Fresh off of five straight October matches at home, the Seattle Pacific Falcons take their volleyball show back on the road this week.
 
The Falcons head about an hour south on Interstate 5 to Lacey on Thursday to visit Saint Martin's at Marcus Pavilion. They'll come back home for the night, then board the bus on Friday for a trip to Monmouth for Saturday's contest at Western Oregon. Both matches begin at 7 p.m.
 
Then next Monday, SPU is back in town to begin its final homestand of the year when Montana State Billings visits Brougham Pavilion for a 7 p.m. Monday Night Volleyball match.
 
After a tough five-game loss to Northwest Nazarene last Thursday ended a four-match overall and a 14-match homecourt winning streak, the Falcons bounced back in Brougham on Saturday to beat Central Washington in four games.
 
In addition to Billings, next week's final home matches of 2011 include visits from Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. and Alaska Anchorage on Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. The latter will be Senior Day in honor of outside hitters Paige Hoffman and Lindsey Wodrich, libero Anna Herold, and middle blocker Angie Pricco.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Live Webcasts will be available from both matches this week. Live stats will not be available from Saint Martin's, but will be available from Western Oregon. Links can be found at the top of this story.
 





SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
--SPU is 8-4 away from Brougham Pavilion, including 5-1 in true road matches (those not played on a neutral court).
--The Falcons have won 19 straight matches against Saint Martin's since a five-game loss in Lacey on Oct. 20, 2001.
--Western Oregon beat the Falcons in both matches in 2008 on the way to winning the GNAC title and advancing to the NCAA West Regionals. But Seattle Pacific has won all five matches against the Wolves since then, the last three in sweeps.
--Montana State Billings is the last GNAC team the Falcons have yet to play this season. The first meeting was pushed back from early in the season to Monday so that both teams could take part in a second preseason tournament during the same week that the rest of the schools began conference play.
 
SPEAKING OF THE FALCONS
Coach Chris Johnson was pleased to see how his team got right back on track last Saturday against Central Washington after the five-game loss to Northwest Nazarene two nights earlier.
 
“They just have a good amount of self-confidence. They know they can play well and play at a high level,” Johnson said. “They recognize the changes they need to make from one match to the next, and then they go do them. It's nice to have players who are not only smart enough to recognize that, but then be able physically to make the changes.”
 
With the conference standings as bunched as they are, the Falcons are fully aware that they need their best game every night, including this week in Lacey and Monmouth.
 
“Saint Martin's is still playing well. They got another win last week against Simon Fraser, so we need to be aware of what they're doing and be able to play our game,” Johnson said. “Western Oregon is a long trip, and they're a good team that tends to play stronger at home. They have one of the top players for kills in the league (Danielle Reese) and one of the top hitters in the league (Krissy Kemper).
 
“It's tight with four teams battling for that top spot.”
 
SCOUTING THE SAINT MARTIN'S SAINTS: 4-13, 3-8 GNAC (8^th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 42-5. Current series streak: SPU won 19. Last time: SPU 3, Saint Martin's 0 (25-9, 25-19, 25-16; Sept. 24, 2011 at Seattle). Saints on the Web.
Saints in a nutshell: Saint Martin's snapped a seven-match losing streak (five in GNAC play) with a 3-1 victory at Simon Fraser last Thursday. The Saints are led on offense by 5-foot-10 freshman outside hitter Kristyn Ross, who has put down 230 kills. Her average of 3.71 per game is tied for fourth-best in the GNAC, and her 4.14 points per game ranks No. 5. Ross had a team-high six kills in the first match against SPU. Junior middle blocker Teilissa Tua is the leading hitter for Saint Martin's at .207. But the Saints hit just .122 as a team, and were limited to .044 by Seattle Pacific last month.
                                                                                                                                              
WESTERN OREGON WOLVES: 8-7, 7-4 GNAC (5^th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 20-14. Current series streak: SPU won 5. Last time: SPU 3, WOU 0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-22; Sept. 22, 2011 at Seattle). Wolves on the Web.
Wolves in a nutshell: This is by far one of the most dangerous teams in the GNAC. The Wolves won at Anchorage in five games, then took Western Washington to five games twice (including a 2-0 lead in Monmouth) before falling short. Western Oregon scored homecourt sweeps against Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene. Sophomore middle blocker Krissi Kemper ranks No. 2 in GNAC hitting percentage at .316. Junior outside hitter Danielle Reese is a big threat at the net with 239 kills (4.12 per game, No. 2 in the conference). Reese had a match-high 16 kills against SPU in September at Seattle.
                                                          
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS YELLOWJACKETS: 9-10, 3-7 GNAC (7^th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 19-7. Current series streak: SPU won 2. Last time: SPU 3, MSUB 0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-12; Nov. 13, 2011 at Billings). Yellowjackets on the Web.
Yellowjackets in a nutshell: Montana State Billings started out fast, winning all four of its matches at the Oredigger Classic, then taking two out of five at the Grand Canyon Invitational. But the Jackets have lost five of their last six in GNAC play. Freshman middle blocker Monica Grimsrud, at 6-foot-1, is the spark plug on offense for Billings with 260 kills and a 3.47 average that ranks No. 7 in the GNAC. Melissa Porter, a 6-3 senior middle hitter, has a team-high 60 blocks, with 10 solos. Senior setter Brooke Tolman, the MVP of the Oredigger tourney, has racked up 733 assists.
                                                                                   
HOW DO THEY COMPARE?
(With GNAC rankings)
                                                 SPU                StM             WOU            MSUB
Hitting percent                    .215 (3)         .122 (8)        .207 (T5)      .154 (7)
Opponent's hitting pct.     .156 (1)         .196 (7)        .199 (8)         .173 (3)
Kills per game                     12.9 (4)         10.9 (8)       12.5 (5)         11.4 (7)
Assists per game               12.0 (3)         10.1 (8)       11.8 (5)         10.9 (7)
Aces per game                    1.32 (6)           1.1 (9)          1.6 (3)        1.33 (5)
Digs per game                     16.1 (4)         17.8 (1)        15.9 (6)        16.5 (3)
Blocks per game                   2.2 (1)         1.61 (8)        1.66 (7)          2.0 (4)   
 
FALCONS REPLAY
--Senior outside hitter Lindsey Wodrich had a season-high 20 kills, but serving troubles plagued Seattle Pacific last Thursday as Northwest Nazarene rallied from two games down to beat the Falcons, 17-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-12.
-- Wodrich slammed 19 kills, including the last two points of the match, and teammates Nikki Lowell and Cailin Fellows also had  double-figure kills as the Falcons overcame an opening-game loss to beat Central Washington last Saturday, 21-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-23.
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DELIGHTS
Lindsey Wodrich (Richland, Wash./Richland HS) put two more kill-dig double-doubles into the books last week. She now has 10 for this season – including seven in SPU's 10 conference matches – and 29 for her career.
 
Senior outside hitter Paige Hoffman (Encinitas, Calif.) recorded 14 kills and 11 digs against Northwest Nazarene last Thursday for her first double-double of the season. She now has five for her career. Junior setter Shelby Swanson (Kennewick, Wash./Kamiakin HS) has four this season and 14 for her career, and junior outside hitter Cailin Fellows (Edmonds, Wash./Edmonds-Woodway HS) also has two for her career – both this season.
 
WELCOME TO THE ACTION FOR LANGDON
Freshman setter Kendall Langdon (Irvine, Calif.) made her Seattle Pacific debut last Thursday against Northwest Nazarene. Langdon got into two games, getting three chances to serve and coming up with one dig.
 
All four of SPU's freshmen – middle blocker Madi Cavell (Keizer, Ore.), outside hitter Jessica Miller (Fife, Wash./Fife HS) and libero Brianna Leenders (Portland, Ore.) – now have seen action this fall.
 
WODRICH'S NICE ROUND NUMBERS
Last week, Lindsey Wodrich recorded her 1,000^th career point for SPU, and she comes into this week with 1,045. Last Thursday against Northwest Nazarene, she came up with her 100^th block, and now has 101 altogether (13 solo, 88 block assists). She is just four service aces away from 100.
 
Also within reach is another round number: 1,000 kills. Wodrich starts the week at 892 with eight regular-season matches left, plus any potential postseason matches.
 
SWEET REDEMPTION FOR PRICCO
As also was true for her teammates, serving was not kind to senior middle blocker Angie Pricco (Brier, Wash./Blanchet HS) last Thursday against Northwest Nazarene. But she more than made up for it on Saturday against Central Washington with a career-high four service aces. That was twice as many as her previous career best of two, which she set three times, most recently last Monday in a five-game victory at home against British Columbia.
 
Pricco didn't waste any time getting started, either: Her very first serve of the night was an ace to tie the opening game at 1-1, and on her next serve, she eventually put down the kill.
 
YOU CAN'T KILL THAT
Nothing is ever guaranteed, of course, but the odds certainly are in the Falcons' favor when they shut down the opposition's offense. In 19 matches this season, Seattle Pacific has kept its opponent below .200 hitting 14 times. The Falcons have won 12 of those matches. The only two teams that have managed to pull out a win in spite of SPU's solid defense were Alaska Anchorage (.199 hitting for the Seawolves) and Northwest Nazarene (.133).
 
Seattle Pacific also has limited five teams to less than .100 hitting for a match, with a low of -.023 by Simon Fraser on Oct. 6 in Seattle.
                   
LOWELL ON TARGET
Sophomore middle blocker Nikki Lowell (Claremont, Calif.) had another of her outstanding offensive performances last Saturday against Central Washington. Lowell had 13 kills and just one error on 23 total attacks for a .522 hitting percentage. That was her fourth time this season at or above .500 and the 12^th time in her SPU career.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
--Senior libero Anna Herold (Bothell, Wash./Shorecrest HS) ranks 22^nd in Division II in digs per game this week with her average of 5.38. The leader is Maggie Murphy of Mars Hill (N.C.) at 6.75.
--Shelby Swanson moved up one spot to 17th in assists per game at 11.01. Season-long leader Amanda Konetchy of Concordia-St. Paul is still No. 1 at 12.9.
--The Falcons rank 33rd in blocks per game at 2.18. Hillsdale (Mich.) remains No. 1 at 2.66.

Click on this link to see how the Falcons, along with GNAC players and teams are faring nationally. Click on this link for a look at GNAC statistical leaders.
  
NUMERICAL MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
100^th ace               Lindsey Wodrich (has 96)
100^th dig                Angie Pricco (has 92)
200^th block           Angie Pricco (has 190)
500^th kill                Cailin Fellows (has 462)
                                Nikki Lowell (has 456)
500^th point            Cailin Fellows (has 499.5)
 
POLLING PLACE
Seattle Pacific fell four positions to No. 23 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll. The Falcons received 111 points in the voting and remain the only GNAC team in the top 25.
 
Unbeaten Concordia-St. Paul (21-0) remained No. 1, but for the first time this season, it was not unanimous. Concordia got 31 of the 32 first-place votes and 799 of a possible 800 points. From the West Region, unbeaten Cal State San Bernardino (18-0) remained No. 3, UC San Diego (13-4) stayed No. 18. Sonoma State (15-3) moved into the poll for the first time this season, checking in at No. 24.

The first West Region rankings are due out Oct. 26.
                                                                                                                                       
AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for a look at news, notes, results and stats from around the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
 
UP NEXT
Seattle Pacific wraps up its home schedule next week. After the Montana State Billings match on Monday, the Falcons play host to Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m., and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m. The latter match will be Senior Day. SPU dropped a four-gamer at Anchorage on Sept. 29 and scored a 3-0 sweep at Fairbanks on Oct. 1.
                                                            
 
GNAC STANDINGS
                                           GNAC    Season
Western Washington          9-2          11-4
Seattle Pacific                      8-2          14-5
Alaska Anchorage               8-2          12-6
Northwest Nazarene           8-3          11-5
Western Oregon                  7-4            8-7
Central Washington            5-6          11-8
Montana State Billings       3-7          9-10
Saint Martin's                       3-8          4-13
Alaska Fairbanks                 2-8          2-16
Simon Fraser                       0-11        0-15