THE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Sept. 27             Central Washington at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion (2,650) / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live stats        Live Webcast
 
Saturday, Sept. 29              Northwest Nazarene at Seattle Pacific, 2:00 p.m.
                                                Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
                                                Live stats        Live Webcast
 
 
        Weekly release, with complete updated stats (PDF)

SEATTLE – They're home.
 
The Seattle Pacific Falcons get their first chance of the season to play on their Brougham Pavilion court this week when they welcome Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene into town for Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches. The Wildcats visit on Thursday night at 7, and the Crusaders head to town for a 2 p.m. match on Saturday.
                    
Last Saturday in Billings, Mont., the Falcons(4-8, 1-2 GNAC) wound up a string of 12 road matches to start the season. They visited four different states, one other country, and traveled approximately 7,600 miles.
                                    
The early-season conference standings are still a tight jumble, although after two weeks of play, just one team – Western Oregon – remains unbeaten in GNAC matches. Two others (Alaska Fairbanks and Simon Fraser) are still seeking their first conference victories, and everyone else – including SPU – is bunched in the middle.
 
Seattle Pacific is back on the road next week, visiting Western Oregon on Oct. 4, and Saint Martin's on Oct. 6.
 
FOLLOW IT LIVE
Fans who can't make it to Brougham can catch a free live Webcast from both of this week's matches on Stretch Internet, the new Webcast home for the GNAC. Live stats also will be available. The appropriate links can be found at the top of this story.
 
TOUGH AT HOME
In the 26-year history of the program, SPU has put together a 182-71 record at home (.719 winning percentage). That includes four unbeaten seasons in Brougham Pavilion, most recently in 2010 (9-0).
                                                                          
Chris Johnson's teams are 54-16 at home since he became head coach in 2005.
 
From the start of GNAC play in 2001, the Falcons are 8-3 in conference home openers, having won their last seven. That includes a three-game sweep of Western Oregon in 2011.
 





SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
- -The all-time series against Central Washington is the closest of any against conference opponents. SPU has a 33-29 lead, and has won the last four.
-- SPU coach Chris Johnson is 9-5 all-time against Central coach Mario Andaya, who is in his 17^th year at the Wildcats' helm.
-- With Central, Seattle Pacific will face a team that is 3-0 against nationally ranked opponents so far this season.
-- In contrast, the Falcons have had the upper hand against Northwest Nazarene, winning 19 of the 24 all-time matches.
-- But the most recent of those went to the Crusaders, who bounced back after losing the first two games last year in Seattle to take a five-game victory.
-- SPU coach Johnson and NNU counterpart Jared Sliger both took charge of their respective programs in 2005. Johnson has an 11-3 advantage.
 
SPEAKING OF THE FALCONS
It was almost exactly a month ago – Aug. 28 – when SPU headed to Hawaii to begin their season. For the first time since then, it's a simple walk over to Brougham Pavilion to back-to-back matches.
 
“We're really excited to be playing at home,” sophomore middle blocker / opposite Madi Cavell said. “It's sort of a completely different dynamic when you're playing in your own gym.”
 
The Falcons continue to aim at forging solid performances both offensively and defensively in the same match.
 
“We actually had a good offensive night (last Saturday at Montana State Billings),” head coach Chris Johnson said. “Our hitting was up there at .258. Our outside hitters were taking it to them all night. We just need to shore up our defense a bit. We're playing more aggressively. We just need to put together a complete effort for a whole match.”
 
Cavell said things are heading in that direction.
 
“There have been several instances where we've seen an improvement in rhythm,” she said. “Everyone is playing more as a team rather than as six individuals on the court.”
 
SCOUTING THE CENTRAL WASHINGTON WILDCATS: 8-4, 3-1 GNAC (tie 2nd)
All-time series: SPU leads, 33-29. Current series streak: SPU won 4. Last time: SPU 3, CWU 1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-23; Oct. 15, 2011 at Seattle). Wildcats on the Web.
Wildcats in a nutshell: Central beat two ranked teams during preseason tournament play, taking down then-No. 13 Metro State at the Grand Canyon Invitational, and then-No. 25 UC San Diego at the Honolulu Invitational. Last Saturday, Western Washington went to Ellensburg with the No. 13 national ranking, but the Wildcats knocked off the Vikings in four games. The Wildcats are now effectively ranked No. 26, sitting atop the 'others receiving votes' list in this week's poll. Central Washington is led by senior outside hitter Marcy Hjellum with 152 kills (3.17 per game). Junior middle blocker Erin Smith is the third-best hitter in the GNAC at .379. Smith also has 48 blocks, an average of 1.0 per game.
 
SCOUTING THE NORTHWEST NAZARENE CRUSADERS: 8-5, 2-2 GNAC (6^th)
All-time series: SPU leads, 19-5. Current series streak: NNU won 1. Last time: NNU 3, SPU 2 (17-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-12; Oct. 13, 2011 at Seattle). Crusaders on the Web.
Crusaders in a nutshell: NNU has won five of its eight matches in a sweep, and took two of the West's better teams – Cal Baptist and Alaska Anchorage – to five games before falling short. The Crusaders feature a pair of middle blockers who are their most powerful and accurate hitters. Becky Flores, a 5-foot-9 senior, leads the team with 147 kills (3.15 per game) and hits .325. Another senior, 5-10 Heather Allen, has 104 kills and hits .350. Another force to be reckoned with is sophomore outside hitter Kaitlyn Tuholski, who set a GNAC record with five triple-doubles last season. So far this year, she ranks No. 2 for the Crusaders with 110 kills (2.34 per game) and 109 digs. She hits .205.
 
HOW DO THEY COMPARE?
(2012 GNAC ranking)
 
                                                        SPU                        CWU                      NNU
Hitting percent                              .178 (7)                  .210 (5)                  .235 (2)
Opponent's hitting percent         .218 (10)                .187 (6)                  .208 (8)
Kills per game                               11.9 (6)                  12.7 (4)                  12.8 (3)
Assists per game                          11.2 (5)                  11.8 (3)                  11.7 (4)
Aces per game                                1.0 (10)                  1.5 (7)                    1.6 (5)
Digs per game                               15.6 (4)                  15.2 (7)                  15.3 (6)
Blocks per game                             1.6 (8)                    2.3 (2)                    1.8 (6)
 
FALCONS REPLAY
-- Cailin Fellows had 20 kills, just one short of her career high, and Seattle Pacific bounced back after dropping the first two games, but ultimatey fell short at Montana State Billings last Saturday, 25-21, 25-16, 18-25, 25-17.
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DELIGHTS
The Falcons have posted five double-doubles so far this season, with four of those coming from senior setter Shelby Swanson (Kennewick, Wash. / Kamiakin HS). Swanson has 21 – all of them assist-dig – for her career.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Madi Cavell (Keizer, Ore.) put her first career double-double-double into the books on Sept. 13 in a four-game GNAC victory at Simon Fraser. Cavell tied her career high with 13 kills and added a career-high 12 digs.
 
Senior outside hitter Cailin Fellows (Edmonds, Wash. / Edmonds-Woodway HS) has two career kill-dig double-doubles, both during the 2011 season.
 
HOMECOMING OF SORTS FOR DIBBLE
When the Falcons step onto the court Thursday night, first-year assistant coach Whitney Dibble will be involved in her first competitive match in Brougham Pavilion since Oct. 28, 2006, a four-game victory against Alaska Anchorage. In that contest, Dibble played all four games, had eight kills, hit .350, served up an ace, had two assists, two digs, and a block assist.
 
The Falcons went 16-0 in GNAC play that year and 24-3 overall, advancing to the NCAA West Regionals.
 
HITTING HEADS NORTH
SPU's offense gradually has started to click. Last Saturday at Montana State Billings, the Falcons hit a solid .258, their second-highest mark of the season, exceeded only by the .282 they hit against Chico State on Sept. 7. And, they had their lowest error total of the season, with just 14 on 132 attacks. Their previous low was 18, achieved in three matches, most recently at Simon Fraser on Sept. 13.
 
For the second straight week, Seattle Pacific bumped up its season hitting percentage. The Falcons came out of the Sonoma Spike on Sept. 8 at .170. They moved it up to .171 by the end of the first weekend of conference play, and now are up to .178.
 
SPU has hit better than .200 in three of its past four matches: .234 against Cal State Stanislaus, .257 at Simon Fraser, and .258 at Montana State Billings.
 
THANK SOME FRESHMEN FOR THAT
They aren't yet getting a large number of attacks, but freshman middle blocker Jackie Arnold (Anaheim, Calif.) and fellow freshman outside hitter Ellie Britt (Orange, Calif.) are making good on the opportunities they do get.
 
Last Saturday in Billings, Arnold had two kills and no errors on five attacks. It was her fifth error-free match in 10 outings this season, and she has just eight errors on 96 attacks. Her season hitting mark is now .375.
 
Britt has been error-free in two of her last three matches, and on her last 43 swings has put down 16 kills with just one error – a .349 percentage for that stretch.
 
FELLOWS INTO A NEW MILLENNIUM
Senior outside hitter Cailin Fellows (Edmonds, Wash. / Edmonds-Woodway HS) passed through a milestone last Saturday with the 2,000^th attack of her career. With 56 at Montana State Billings – tying her career high -- she now has 2,011. Fellows has swung 1,321 times for the Falcons, putting 431 of those onto the floor for kills. In two seasons at Boise State (2009, 2010), she had 690 attacks, with 240 kills.
 
Interestingly, her 2,000^th attack came in the fourth game at Billings, which was her 122^nd game as a Falcon – one more than she played during her two years with the Broncos.
                                                                                                                       
SHE'S NO. 4 – BUT CLIMBING
Senior setter Shelby Swanson (Kennewick, Wash. / Kamiakin HS) moved up into the No. 4 spot on the SPU career assists list last Saturday with 40 at Montana State Billings. That gave her 3,080 for her career, and moved her past Heather Peterson, who had 3,073 from 1991-94.
 
The next spot up belongs to Katy Higgins, who had 3,549 from 2000-03. Higgins, at No. 7, also is one rung above Swanson on the all-time GNAC assist list.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
-- Cailin Fellows jumped 27 places this week to No. 31 for kills per game in NCAA Division II at 3.7 per game.
-- Shelby Swanson ranks No. 42 for assists per game at 9.91.
-- Sophomore libero Brianna Leenders (Portland, Ore.) moved up 11 places to No. 43 in digs per game at 4.84.
 
Click on this link for a complete look at where Seattle Pacific, along with other GNAC teams and player rank in the NCAA Division II national statistics.
 
POLLING PLACE
Click on this link for a look at this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll.

Click on this link for look at the GNAC preseason coaches poll and capsule look at each team.
 
NUMERICAL MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
100^th block    Shelby Swanson (has 91)
100^th kill         Madi Cavell (has 86)
500^th dig        Brianna Leenders (has 456)
700^th dig        Shelby Swanson (has 685)
700^th kill         Cailin Fellows (has 671)
 
MILESTONES MADE LAST WEEK
2,000^th attack    Cailin Fellows (has 2,011)
 
AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for a look a news, notes, results and stats from around the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
                                                                                     
UP NEXT         
SPU returns to the road next week, visiting Western Oregon on Thursday, Oct. 4, in Monmouth, and Saint Martin's on Oct. 6 in Lacey. The Wolves, along with Western Washington and Alaska Anchorage, are considered one of the three primary contenders for the GNAC title this year, and are the only remaining beaten team in conference play heading into this week.
 
 
GNAC STANDINGS
                                          GNAC                    Overall
Western Oregon                  2-0                          9-2
Western Washington           3-1                        10-2
Alaska Anchorage               3-1                          8-4
Central Washington             3-1                          8-4
Montana State Billings         2-1                         8-5
Saint Martin's                       1-1                         3-4
Seattle Pacific                      1-2                         4-8
Alaska Fairbanks                 0-4                         2-8
Simon Fraser                       0-4                         2-8