Box Score

        Box score, play-by-play
 
SEATTLE – Sometimes, solid offense gets the volleyball job done for Seattle Pacific. Other times, defense carries the day.
 
On Tuesday, the Falcons were highly effective in both phases.
 
Madi Cavell had 11 kills and served up four aces – including three straight in the third game – and Sara Biondi had a double-double as SPU opened its Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule by sweeping Saint Martin's.
 
Scores in Brougham Pavilion were 25-11, 26-24, 25-14.





Led by the .667 hitting percentage of senior setter Biondi and the .346 of senior outside hitter Cavell, Seattle Pacific (7-2, 1-0 GNAC) finished with a season-best mark of .282.
 
But that was just half of the story. The Falcons kept Saint Martin's (2-9, 0-1 GNAC) below .100 in all three games, and the Saints finished at .036 hitting. That's the lowest mark by an SPU opponent in 2014 and the third time in the past four matches that it has kept an opponent under .100 for the night.

 

"Our offense was great in the first and third games, though we kind of got a little off in the second game," head coach Chris Johnson said. "But our defense was great throughout. They only had one hitter besides their setter hitting positive numbers. It's really exciting how our defense played."

For the Falcons, it was the first of six conference matches in 12 days. They'll play host to Western Oregon on Thursday night at 7.
 
The individual hitting marks for Biondi (Sacramento, Calif) and Cavell (Keizer, Ore) were both season highs. Cavell had just two errors on 26 attacks, and also had nine digs in addition to her four service aces.
 
Cavell's three straight aces in the third game pushed a 5-3 lead to 8-3, and Saint Martin's never got closer than three points after that, the last time at 10-7.
 
Biondi, who recorded a triple-double in last Thursday's five-game victory against Academy of Art in Pacific West-GNAC Crossover tournament, came within one kill of another one on Tuesday. She had 28 assists, 10 digs, and nine kills, with just one error on 12 swings. She also delivered four aces, tying a career high set just last week.
 
"Sara has just taken her game to a whole new level this season already," Johnson said. "To be one kill away from a triple-double in just three sets is pretty amazing."
                                                           

 
"Jessica played great and was doing what we asked her to do," Johnson said. "Bri Leenders did a great job of serving and had a couple of long runs."
 
Seattle Pacific used an 8-0 run, the last seven of those with Leenders serving, to stretch a 14-10 lead to 22-10 and effectively put Game 1 out of reach.
 
The Saints nearly pulled out the second game, going from 21-18 behind to 23-22 ahead. On the next point, the Falcons managed to keep the ball alive on three different occasions, then ultimately won the point on a combined block by Biondi and Lautenbach.

Then, deadlocked at 24-24, a Saints service errors gave SPU a game point. Biondi converted with a quick kill over the net on a set by junior Breanne Wiekamp.
 
Seattle Pacific has won 25 in a row against Saint Martin's, a streak that began in 2002.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Seattle Pacific 3, Saint Martin's 0
 
Game scores – 25-11, 26-24, 25-14.
 
Service aces – StM 3 (3 players with 1), SPU 8 (Madi Cavell 4, Sara Biondi 4).
Kills – StM 21 (Kristyn Ross 4), SPU 38 (Cavell 11).
Assists – StM 20 (Brenna Peterson 16), SPU 37 (Biondi 28).
Digs – StM 27 (Jessica Riddle 6), SPU 40 (Brianna Leenders 12, Biondi 10).
Block assists / solo blocks – StM 10 / 0 solo (Hope Mortensen 3 / 0 solo), SPU 10 / 0 solo (Hannah Lautenbach 5 / 0 solo).
Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) – StM 21-18-84--.036 (Peterson 3-0-8--.375), SPU 38-14-85--.282 (Biondi 9-1-12--.667).
Attendance – 118.
 
Records – Seattle Pacific 7-2, 1-0 GNAC. Saint Martin's 2-9, 0-1 GNAC.
 
Next match – Western Oregon at Seattle Pacific, Thursday, Brougham Pavilion, 7:00 p.m.